The candidate card
Setting
Screening follow-up clinic (community clinic, UK)
Candidate
You are a doctor in this original independent practice scenario, seeing Ms Chantel Helery, aged 41, after a positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT). Fictional case facts: she arranged screening privately, outside the routine NHS age-based programme, and her GP has already referred her to this clinic; she reports feeling well and believes the result confirms cancer. General clinical information: FIT detects blood rather than cancer itself; a colonoscopy uses a flexible camera passed through the bottom to examine the large bowel, may involve taking tissue samples or removing polyps, requires bowel-clearing preparation, and carries uncommon risks including bleeding and a tear in the bowel. The proposed next step in this fictional case is an endoscopy-team assessment to discuss suitability, preparation, comfort options and consent before arranging colonoscopy; the full clinical assessment may continue after this focused conversation, and heavy or continuous rectal bleeding requires emergency assessment rather than waiting for an appointment.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out what Ms Helery understands about the result and briefly check whether she has noticed bowel symptoms, particularly any current bleeding
- Explain what a positive FIT does and does not establish, including why feeling well does not remove the need to investigate
- Describe the proposed colonoscopy and its main benefits, preparation and risks in simple terms
- Respond to her fear that cancer is already certain without promising a harmless result
- Agree an informed next step with the endoscopy team and explain when she should seek medical help while waiting
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
Prepare this card, then say it out loud.
Plan your opening and the tasks below. Keep these notes when you move to the AI role-play.
You are a doctor in this original independent practice scenario, seeing Ms Chantel Helery, aged 41, after a positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT). Fictional case facts: she arranged screening privately, outside the routine NHS age-based programme, and her GP has already referred her to this clinic; she reports feeling well and believes the result confirms cancer. General clinical information: FIT detects blood rather than cancer itself; a colonoscopy uses a flexible camera passed through the bottom to examine the large bowel, may involve taking tissue samples or removing polyps, requires bowel-clearing preparation, and carries uncommon risks including bleeding and a tear in the bowel. The proposed next step in this fictional case is an endoscopy-team assessment to discuss suitability, preparation, comfort options and consent before arranging colonoscopy; the full clinical assessment may continue after this focused conversation, and heavy or continuous rectal bleeding requires emergency assessment rather than waiting for an appointment.
Getting your plan ready…
Preparation is free without an account. AI conversation and marking need sign-in; your first role-play is free. Notes are saved on this device when available. This checklist is your plan, not a score.
How to approach this card
- Start by asking what the result means to her and which part feels most frightening. Her stated belief concerns cancer, but explore its personal significance rather than inventing family experiences or reasons for arranging private screening.
- Briefly establish current bowel symptoms, especially bleeding, before discussing routine appointments. Then separate finding blood from diagnosing its cause. This order prevents an explanation of screening from delaying attention to a problem requiring immediate assessment.
- Explain that feeling well does not remove the need to investigate. Describe the flexible camera passing through the bottom into the large bowel, with possible tissue sampling or polyp removal, using short sections and checking permission to continue.
- Balance the purpose of examining the bowel with bowel-clearing preparation and uncommon bleeding or bowel-tear risks. Avoid calling colonoscopy harmless, promising comfort or offering unsupported cancer probabilities; ask which aspect she wants explained more fully.
- Present the endoscopy assessment as an opportunity to discuss suitability, preparation, comfort and consent before arranging colonoscopy. If time is short, prioritise correcting cancer certainty and agreeing this next step, then check understanding of the waiting advice.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Hearing that result has clearly been frightening.
- Would you prefer an overview before we discuss the details?
- Please stop me whenever something needs explaining.
- What would help you feel more prepared for that appointment?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| faecal immunochemical test | A poo test that looks for blood, rather than diagnosing cancer. |
| colonoscopy | An examination inside your large bowel using a flexible camera passed through your bottom. |
| polyps | Growths in the bowel that may be removed during the camera examination. |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Medicine role-play cards
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- Pulmonary embolism on anticoagulation: discuss follow-up and bleeding concerns Hospital follow-up clinic (UK)
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Medicine.
Questions about this role-play
Should I question why she arranged screening outside the routine programme?
Keep the discussion focused on the result she already has. The card establishes that screening was private and her GP has referred her. Do not imply that her age invalidates the result or require another GP referral before discussing the proposed assessment.
How should I handle questions about comfort options and getting home?
Do not promise a particular comfort option or assume one has been selected. Ask the endoscopy team to explain the options and any implications for driving or transport before she agrees. Avoid inventing preparation timings, recovery periods or instructions that depend on the eventual arrangement.
What specific advice should I give about bleeding while she waits?
Heavy or continuous rectal bleeding needs emergency assessment: go to A&E or call 999; do not drive yourself. Black or dark-red stools or bloody diarrhoea need urgent medical advice. She should not wait for her endoscopy appointment if these occur. [NHS guidance](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/bleeding-from-the-bottom-rectal-bleeding/).
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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