The candidate card
Setting
Radiology/imaging department - general X-ray room
Candidate
You are a radiographer. Ms Anitha Mahadevan's 3-year-old son has been referred by his GP for a chest X-ray because of a cough lasting about ten days and intermittent fever for the last four days. He is too young to keep still on his own, so the department asks a parent to hold him while wearing a lead apron. Ms Mahadevan is reluctant to put on the apron and is worried about the X-ray.
Task (interlocutor: parent)
- Find out Ms Mahadevan's concerns about the X-ray and check whether she could be pregnant before she holds her son
- Explain why the GP has asked for the X-ray and how small the radiation dose is for a child
- Explain why the person holding him wears a lead apron and what will happen during the X-ray (position, holding still, how quickly it is done)
- Reassure her about her worries
- Agree how the X-ray will go ahead today (who will hold her son)
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 what is worrying her about the X-ray before explaining. Her reluctance is likely about radiation for her son or herself, so listen first, then check sensitively whether she could be pregnant before she holds him.
- Put the pregnancy question early and plainly, as a routine safety check that you ask any parent who might hold a child. Explain that the answer decides who holds him, not whether he is X-rayed.
- Explain why his GP asked for the X-ray in terms of his cough and fever, then say the dose is small for a child. Avoid numbers or comparisons that are not given.
- Describe the apron and the sequence: how he will be positioned, how still he must be, and that it is quick. Explain that the apron protects the person holding him from scattered radiation.
- Agree who will hold him. If she might be pregnant or is unhappy, offer another adult. Close by checking she is comfortable, then tell her when results go to the GP only if you know.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- Many parents worry about X-rays for little ones. What concerns you?
- I ask every parent who might hold a child: could you be pregnant?
- The apron is there to protect you while you are close to him.
- It is quick, and you will be with him the whole time.
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| Chest X-ray | A quick picture of the lungs and chest to look for the cause of the cough. |
| Radiation dose | The amount of radiation used for the picture, which is kept small. |
| Lead apron | A heavy protective cover that blocks scattered X-rays from the person holding him. |
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 Radiography role-play cards
- Long wait before a contrast CT Radiology/imaging department - CT waiting area
- Possible pregnancy before a lumbar spine X-ray Radiology/imaging department - private screening room next to the general X-ray reception
- MRI postponed because of an unidentified pacemaker Radiology/imaging department - MRI safety screening area
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Radiography.
Questions about this role-play
How do I ask about pregnancy without offending her?
Present it as a routine question for anyone who might hold a child, ask it privately if you can, and say why you ask. Accept her answer calmly and have an alternative holder ready so that the answer never feels like a problem.
What if she refuses to wear the apron?
Find out why. If it is fear, explain what the apron does. If she still declines, offer another adult to hold him. Do not allow her to hold him without protection, and do not let the discussion delay the child's X-ray unnecessarily.
How reassuring can I be about radiation?
Say the dose is small for a child, and that the GP requested it because the information helps decide his care. Do not claim it is risk-free or give figures that are not on the card.
Sources
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