The candidate card
Setting
Optometry practice
Candidate
You are an optometrist. Mr Arnel Espiritu, aged 78, has come in for a routine eye examination and new glasses because he has trouble with glare when driving at night. You have found bilateral cataracts, and even with his best glasses his vision is now below the legal standard for driving a private car. He drove himself to the practice today, and his wife, who cannot drive, is waiting in the car. He has not yet been told the results.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Find out about Mr Espiritu's driving and the difficulties he has noticed with his vision (glare, night driving, any near misses)
- Explain your findings in lay terms and tell him that he should stop driving now, including not driving home today
- Explain that he is responsible for informing the licensing authority, and that cataract surgery may allow him to drive again
- Respond to his anger and his concerns about caring for his wife
- Agree a plan (how he and his wife will get home today, other ways to get to appointments, referral to an ophthalmologist, follow-up)
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.
How to approach this card
- Ask about his driving and what he has noticed, including glare, night driving and near misses. His own account makes it easier for him to accept the result later, and it tells you how much he already suspects.
- Give a short warning that the news is serious, then explain the cataracts in lay terms: clouding of the lens, causing glare. State clearly that his vision is below the standard for driving a private car and he should stop now.
- Be explicit that he should not drive home today, as he drove here. Then explain that he must tell the licensing authority himself, and that cataract surgery may allow him to drive again, without guaranteeing it.
- Expect anger and worry about his wife, who cannot drive. His independence and role as her driver are likely at stake, so let him express it, acknowledge it, and ask what he relies on driving for.
- Solve today's problem first: how he and his wife get home, perhaps by involving her, family, friends or a taxi. Then cover transport to appointments, referral to an ophthalmologist, and follow-up, before checking his understanding.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- I'm sorry, this isn't what you came in expecting to hear.
- Have you had any close calls on the road lately?
- Your wife is outside. Shall we ask her to join us?
- Surgery may let you drive again, though I can't promise that.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| bilateral cataracts | Clouding of the natural lens in both eyes, which makes vision blurry and glary. |
| glare | Bright lights, like oncoming headlights, scatter and make it hard to see clearly. |
| licensing authority | The government body that manages driver's licences, which you must tell about your eyesight. |
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). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Optometry role-play cards
- Child's progressing myopia: glasses and myopia control Optometry practice
- Contact lens overwear and papillary conjunctivitis Optometry practice
- Raised eye pressure: reluctance to see an ophthalmologist Optometry practice
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Optometry.
Questions about this role-play
What if he says he will drive home anyway?
Stay calm and repeat clearly that his vision is below the standard, so he should not drive home today. Appeal to his safety and his wife's. Then solve the practical problem with him by finding another way home, rather than only repeating the rule.
Should I invite his wife in?
Ask him first, since the results are his. She is waiting in the car and relies on him for transport, so including her can help with planning. Let him decide how much to share, and keep the focus on how they will get home.
How do I handle his anger?
Let him express it without defending yourself. Acknowledge what driving means to him, and name the loss. Then move to what can be done: surgery referral, alternative transport, and follow-up. Do not rush to reassure or give promises on surgery.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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