The candidate card
Setting
Home visit
Candidate
You are a community physiotherapist. You are visiting a 79-year-old man with Parkinson's disease who has fallen twice at home in the past month. He was not seriously injured either time. His GP has referred him for a falls assessment. He lives with his daughter, Ms Rocio Cabello, aged 52, who is his full-time carer. Before the visit, she phoned to say she wants him to use a wheelchair all the time.
Task (interlocutor: carer)
- Find out about the falls and how Ms Cabello is coping (circumstances, timing with his tablets, any dizziness, her own health and support)
- Explain how sitting most of the day could affect him and why his walking and moving need assessing before deciding how to use a wheelchair (strength, balance, independence)
- Reassure Ms Cabello that her concerns are valid and persuade her to try a safe, active approach (assessment first, support for her)
- Advise her what to do if he falls again (do not lift him, check for injury, when to call for help)
- Agree a plan (home changes, blood pressure and medication review, mobility and equipment assessment, exercise, 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 the falls and about her coping separately: circumstances, timing against his tablets, dizziness, then her own health and support. Ask what is behind her wish for a wheelchair rather than assuming; her call gave only the request.
- Validate before persuading: her concerns are reasonable after two falls. Explain that sitting most of the day can weaken muscles and balance, so you need to assess his walking first, then decide how and when a wheelchair fits.
- If he falls: do not lift him; check for injury. Call 000 if he is unresponsive or newly confused, hit his head, has severe pain, cannot move a limb or bear weight, has a deformity, heavy bleeding, chest pain or trouble breathing.
- Offer a package that supports her too: home changes, blood pressure and medication review, mobility and equipment assessment, exercise and follow-up. Tell her not to change his tablets herself before the review.
- Typical error: telling her a wheelchair is wrong. Frame it as a safe, active approach, include him in the decisions as the patient, and give her a contact for another fall or for support with her own health.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Two falls in a month would worry anyone. Let's work out the safest way forward.
- How are you managing day to day, looking after him on your own?
- Let me check that I've understood what you're hoping a wheelchair would do.
- What do you think your father would want to be able to do?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| falls assessment | a check of why he is falling and what would make home and walking safer |
| medication review | checking his tablets and when he takes them, in case they add to dizziness or falls |
| mobility aids | equipment such as a frame or wheelchair that helps him get around |
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 Physiotherapy role-play cards
- Walking the day after hip fracture surgery Hospital orthopaedic ward
- Knee pain in a young footballer Physiotherapy clinic
- Back pain - the patient wants a scan and bed rest Physiotherapy clinic
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Physiotherapy.
Questions about this role-play
What if she refuses to consider anything but a wheelchair?
Don't force the issue. Agree that assessment comes first, so any wheelchair advice is based on what he can do, and that a wheelchair may still have a place. Offer support for her and say you will review once the assessments are done.
How do I ask about her coping without sounding critical?
Ask about her day and her own health as part of caring for him, for example how she is managing and who helps. Keep it open, listen without judging, and link any support offered to keeping both of them safe.
How do I involve the patient himself?
Greet him first and ask him directly about the falls and what matters to him, giving time to answer. Check he is happy with the plan, because the decision about how he moves affects his independence as well as his daughter's worries.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
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