The candidate card
Setting
Preoperative clinic
Candidate
In this original independent practice scenario, you are a preoperative nurse speaking with Ms Ataahua Henare, aged 42, whose mother is awaiting a non-emergency surgical consent discussion and needs language support; her mother has agreed that you may discuss communication arrangements with her daughter. Fictional service arrangements: the clinic can request a professional telephone or video interpreter without charge after confirming the patient's preferred language and dialect, and the surgeon will conduct the subsequent consent discussion; the patient's preferences about interpreting and her daughter's presence have not yet been checked directly. Consent must be informed and voluntary, and limited English does not itself mean lack of decision-making capacity; professional interpreting supports accurate, impartial communication and confidentiality, while a daughter can remain a valued supporter if the patient wishes. If her mother prefers family interpreting or declines the offered service, arrange an independent supported discussion of that preference and senior review of how understanding can be established, rather than assuming consent or treating the daughter's agreement as the patient's decision; this conversation concerns communication arrangements, and the full clinical assessment and surgical consent discussion will follow separately.
Task (interlocutor: relative)
- Find out why Ms Henare wants to interpret and what concerns she has about professional interpreter support.
- Explain why the team offers professional interpreting for an informed, voluntary consent discussion while recognising her knowledge of her mother.
- Discuss checking her mother's own communication preferences and how Ms Henare could remain involved with her mother's permission.
- Agree the next steps for interpreter support and the later surgeon-led discussion, including what happens if her mother declines, and check understanding.
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.
In this original independent practice scenario, you are a preoperative nurse speaking with Ms Ataahua Henare, aged 42, whose mother is awaiting a non-emergency surgical consent discussion and needs language support; her mother has agreed that you may discuss communication arrangements with her daughter. Fictional service arrangements: the clinic can request a professional telephone or video interpreter without charge after confirming the patient's preferred language and dialect, and the surgeon will conduct the subsequent consent discussion; the patient's preferences about interpreting and her daughter's presence have not yet been checked directly. Consent must be informed and voluntary, and limited English does not itself mean lack of decision-making capacity; professional interpreting supports accurate, impartial communication and confidentiality, while a daughter can remain a valued supporter if the patient wishes. If her mother prefers family interpreting or declines the offered service, arrange an independent supported discussion of that preference and senior review of how understanding can be established, rather than assuming consent or treating the daughter's agreement as the patient's decision; this conversation concerns communication arrangements, and the full clinical assessment and surgical consent discussion will follow separately.
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
- Ask why Ms Henare wants to interpret and what concerns she has about professional support. Familiarity, trust or privacy may be concerns to explore, but none is established; acknowledge her knowledge of her mother before explaining the service.
- Connect professional interpreting with accurate, impartial and confidential communication during an informed, voluntary consent discussion. Avoid presenting the offer as a judgement about the daughter's English or reliability; the aim is to establish her mother's own understanding and choices.
- Explain that her mother's interpreting preferences and wishes about her daughter's presence still need to be checked directly. Permission to discuss arrangements with the daughter does not establish those preferences, so avoid treating this conversation as agreement to a particular arrangement.
- Once her mother's wishes are established, confirm her preferred language and dialect for the professional interpreter request. Explain the available telephone or video options and that the service is free, while preserving the daughter's supportive role if her mother wants her involved.
- Close with a clear handover to the later surgeon-led discussion, checking that the daughter understands this conversation concerns communication arrangements. If time is short, prioritise establishing how her mother's preferences will be heard before discussing the remaining practical details.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Your knowledge of your mother is valuable to this conversation.
- What would you like the team to understand about her?
- May I explain how the interpreting service works?
- Which part of the arrangements would you like clarified?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| informed consent | Agreeing to treatment after understanding the information and having a free choice. |
| professional interpreter | A trained person who helps people communicate accurately across languages. |
| decision-making capacity | The ability to make the particular decision. |
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 Nursing role-play cards
- Post-operative pain management Surgical ward
- Community visit: patient removing compression bandages Patient's home (community nursing visit)
- Bronchiolitis: father wants antibiotics and to take his baby home Paediatric ward
Next step for Australian nursing: if your pathway requires OBA after OET and NCLEX-RN, explore OSCE practice for Australian nurses at OSCE Australia, run by the same company as OETAce.
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Nursing.
Questions about this role-play
Does needing an interpreter mean her mother cannot make the surgical decision?
No. Limited English does not itself mean a lack of decision-making capacity. Keep the need for language support separate from any assessment of decision-making ability, and avoid describing the daughter as the decision-maker simply because she speaks more English.
What if her mother prefers family interpreting or declines the professional service?
Arrange an independent supported discussion of that preference and senior review of how understanding can be established. Do not assume that declining the service establishes informed consent, and do not treat the daughter's agreement as her mother's decision.
Should I explain the operation's risks if the daughter asks during this conversation?
The card supplies no operation details or clinical risks to explain. Acknowledge the question and identify it for the subsequent clinical assessment and consent discussion. Do not invent surgical information or imply that this communication conversation completes the consent process.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
OETAce is an independent practice site. OET is a registered trademark of Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA); we are not affiliated with or endorsed by CBLA. All practice material here is original.