The candidate card
Setting
Optometry practice
Candidate
You are an optometrist. Mrs Lisa Moxham, aged 56, came in today because of new flashes of light and a shower of floaters in her right eye over the last two days. Your dilated examination shows a horseshoe-shaped retinal tear in her right eye, with no sign of retinal detachment at present. You have spoken to the ophthalmologist on call, who can see her this afternoon to assess her for laser treatment. Mrs Moxham is due to fly overseas tomorrow morning.
Task (interlocutor: patient)
- Explain your findings in simple terms (retinal tear, risk of detachment)
- Explain why she needs to see the eye specialist today (possible laser treatment to seal the tear)
- Find out about her travel plans and her concerns
- Persuade Mrs Moxham to attend the appointment today and reassure her about her fears
- Agree a plan for this afternoon (getting to the appointment safely, warning signs that need urgent attention)
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
- Link the finding to her symptoms first: the flashes and floaters she noticed fit with a tear in the retina. Say there is no detachment at present, but a tear can lead to one. Do not call this safe.
- Say the specialist can see her this afternoon to assess her for laser to seal the tear, and that you have already arranged it. Use 'assess for' laser, not a promise of treatment or of how it will turn out.
- Then ask about her trip and her concerns. Likely worries are the flight, cost and disruption, or fear of the eye treatment, but ask rather than assume. Do not tell her whether she can fly; that is for the ophthalmologist to advise.
- To persuade, acknowledge the disruption, then be honest about why today matters without frightening her. Reassure with what is true: the specialist is expecting her, and seeing someone now is the way to protect her vision. Avoid pressure or threats.
- Settle the practical plan: her pupils have been dilated, so she should not drive herself, and needs transport arranged. Give the warning signs once, in one place, then ask her to repeat back the plan and the appointment details.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- The flashes and floaters you noticed fit with what I can see. Let me show you what that means.
- I know the flight tomorrow makes this very inconvenient. Tell me what the trip means to you.
- Right now the retina is not detached, and the aim of today's visit is to keep it that way.
- What would make it hard to get to the appointment this afternoon? Let's work it out together.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| retinal tear | a small break in the thin light-sensing layer at the back of your eye |
| retinal detachment | when that thin layer peels away from the back of the eye |
| floaters | small dark spots or strands that drift across your vision |
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
- Cataract: vision below the driving standard Optometry practice
- Child's progressing myopia: glasses and myopia control Optometry practice
- Contact lens overwear and papillary conjunctivitis Optometry practice
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Optometry.
Questions about this role-play
What if she says she will go to the specialist after her trip?
Find out what is behind the delay, such as cost, fear or the booking. Explain that the tear could lead to a detachment and that the specialist is available this afternoon. The specialist can advise about the flight. If she still declines, respect her choice, record it, and give the full warning-sign advice.
Can I tell her it is fine to fly if the laser is done?
No. The card does not say whether she can fly or what the specialist will do. Tell her the ophthalmologist will assess her this afternoon, and that she should ask them directly about flying tomorrow. Do not give assurances that you cannot back up.
What warning signs should I give her?
Give them once, together, and check your practice protocol. The usual signs of retinal detachment are more flashes, more floaters, a shadow or curtain across part of her vision, or sudden blurred or lost vision. If any occur, she should go to an emergency department or contact the eye specialist immediately and not wait.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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