This week's sessions
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- Role-play structure: two practice cardsRead this week's lesson, then do the set below: four quick questions and two role-plays. Prepare for 3 minutes, speak for 5, and compare with the model.
- Two role-plays from the practice testDo both role-plays on the practice test with the five-stage structure from this week's lesson. Record them, then mark each stage with the checklist.
- Reading Part B: six workplace noticesDo the Part B set below. Read the question first, then find the one sentence that answers it. For inference questions, ask why the rule exists.
- Pronunciation: clear key wordsChoose the guide for your first language and practise the sounds it lists. Then say ten medical words from your spelling list clearly, stressing the right syllable.
- Teach-back practiceRecord three short explanations from your own work (a medicine, a test, a home exercise). End each one with a teach-back question, not 'Do you understand?'.
This week's lesson: a clear structure for every role-play
In OET Speaking, you do two role-plays. For each, you have about 3 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes to speak, with the interlocutor playing the patient, carer or relative. You're assessed on language (intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness, grammar and expression) and on clinical communication: relationship building, understanding the patient's perspective, providing structure, and gathering and giving information.
At grade C, role-plays often sound like a lecture: the candidate explains everything at once, in medical language, and the patient hardly speaks. A simple structure fixes most of this.
Use your 3 minutes of preparation
Read the card and number the tasks. Then plan one sentence for each stage below, plus one plain-language explanation of the key medical idea. Don't write a script; write keywords.
1. Open warmly
Introduce yourself and your role, check the patient's name, and invite them to speak:
Hello, I'm Amir, one of the pharmacists. Can I just check your name? … Thanks, Ms Kaur. What can I help you with today?
2. Find out what they know and feel
Before you explain, ask. An open question gets the patient talking and shows you where to start:
What's your understanding of how this inhaler works? How are you feeling about the result?
If the patient is worried, respond to the feeling first: I can see this is really worrying for you, and that's completely understandable. Then continue.
3. Explain in small chunks
Give one idea at a time, in plain words, then pause.
Too much at once: This is an inhaled corticosteroid that reduces airway inflammation, so you need to use it twice daily regardless of symptoms and rinse afterwards to prevent oral candidiasis. In chunks: This inhaler calms the swelling inside your airways. (pause) It works slowly, so you take it every day, even when you feel well. (pause) Afterwards, rinse your mouth with water. That helps prevent a sore mouth.
If you use a medical word, explain it straight away: a colonoscopy, which is a camera test of the bowel. Signposting helps too: First I'll explain what the result means, and then we'll talk about the next step.
4. Check understanding
Do you understand? nearly always gets a yes, so it tells you nothing. Use teach-back instead:
Just so I know I've explained it well, could you tell me how you'll use the two inhalers?
If the patient gets something wrong, explain that part again, more simply.
5. Agree a plan and close
Summarise what you've agreed, check for questions, and close politely:
So you'll use the new inhaler every morning and night, and the blue one only when you're wheezy. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?
Cover every task on the card
Tick off the tasks in your head as you go. You can do them in a natural order, but don't leave one out.
This week
Do the four structure questions, then both role-plays in the set. Record yourself, listen back, and check one thing at a time: did you ask before you explained, and did you use teach-back?
Practice for this week
Role-play structure: two practice cards
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Reading Part B: six workplace notices
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Weekly check: Pharmacy and physiotherapy role-plays
Do the pharmacy and physiotherapy cards (role-plays 3 and 4), with 3 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes each. Check that you opened warmly, asked before explaining, and used teach-back.
When you finish, come back to your plan home: your dashboard updates with the new score.
Answers, explanations and transcripts
Finish the test first, then open each section to check your answers. Every answer has an explanation.
Role-play structure: two practice cards
Model answer: Role-play 1 (pharmacy): 3 minutes to prepare, 5 minutes to speak
Setting: community pharmacy. Patient: Ms Priya Kaur, 34, collecting a new prescription for a preventer inhaler for asthma. She says she'll only use it 'when I'm wheezy', like her blue reliever. Task: find out what she understands about her inhalers; explain the difference between a preventer (daily, works slowly) and a reliever (quick relief when needed); explain how to use the preventer, including rinsing her mouth afterwards; check her understanding; agree on a plan.
Hello, I'm Amir, one of the pharmacists. Can I just check your name and date of birth? … Thanks, Ms Kaur. I see you're collecting a new inhaler today. What's your understanding of how it works?
[Patient: I'll use it when I'm wheezy, like my blue one.]
That makes sense, because they look quite similar. Can I explain the difference? It's really important for getting your asthma under control.
Your blue inhaler is a reliever. It works within minutes to open your airways when you're wheezy. This new one is a preventer. It calms the swelling inside your airways, but it works slowly, over days and weeks. So you take it every day, morning and night, even when you feel well. Does that make sense so far?
[Patient: Even when I'm fine? That seems a lot.]
I understand. Many people feel that way. The idea is that if you take it every day, you should need your blue inhaler much less.
After each dose, rinse your mouth with water and spit it out. That helps prevent a sore mouth or throat.
Just so I know I've explained it well, could you tell me how you'll use the two inhalers?
[Patient explains.]
That's exactly right. If you find you're still using your blue inhaler more than usual, please see your doctor. Would you like me to check your inhaler technique before you go?
Model answer: Role-play 2 (medicine): 3 minutes to prepare, 5 minutes to speak
Setting: general practice. Patient: Mr Graham Lowe, 61, whose bowel screening test has come back positive. He is anxious and says, 'So it's cancer, isn't it?' Task: acknowledge his worry; find out what he knows; explain that a positive result means blood was found, which has many possible causes and needs to be checked; explain a colonoscopy simply (a camera test of the bowel, with medicine to make him sleepy); check his understanding; agree the next step (referral).
Hello, Mr Lowe, I'm Dr Chen. Please have a seat. I know you've come in about your bowel screening result. How are you feeling about it?
[Patient: Worried. It's cancer, isn't it?]
I can see this is really worrying for you, and that's completely understandable. Can I ask what you've been told about the result so far?
[Patient: Just that it was positive.]
Thank you. A positive result means the test found a small amount of blood in your sample. That doesn't mean you have cancer. There are many possible causes, such as piles or small growths called polyps, which can usually be removed. But we do need to find the cause, so the next step is a test called a colonoscopy.
A colonoscopy is a test where a specialist looks inside your bowel with a thin, flexible tube with a small camera. You'll be given medicine to make you sleepy and comfortable. The day before, you'll drink a special preparation to empty your bowel.
Does that make sense so far? … Just so I know I've explained it clearly, could you tell me what the result means and what happens next?
[Patient explains.]
That's right. I'll send the referral today, and the clinic will contact you with a date. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?
Answer key (4 answers)
| # | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which is the best way to open a role-play? | Hello, I'm Amir, the pharmacist. Can I just check your name? … Thanks, Ms Kaur. What can I help you with today? | A warm opening introduces you and your role, checks the patient's name and invites them to speak. It starts building the relationship, which is part of the clinical communication score. |
| 2 | Which question best finds out what the patient already knows? | What's your understanding of how this new inhaler works? | An open question gets the patient talking, so you can explain from what they know. A, B and D can all be answered with 'yes' or 'no'. |
| 3 | Which explanation is clearest for a patient? | This inhaler calms the swelling inside your airways. It works slowly, so you take it every day, even when you feel well. | Plain words (calms the swelling), a short reason and a clear instruction, in small chunks. If you use a medical word, explain it straight away. |
| 4 | Which is the best way to check understanding? | Just so I know I've explained it well, could you tell me how you'll use this inhaler each day? | Teach-back: the patient explains in their own words, so you can see what they've understood and correct it. 'Do you understand?' almost always gets a 'yes'. |
Reading Part B: six workplace notices
Text for question 5: Part B: Oxygen cylinders
Oxygen cylinders
Oxygen cylinders must be stored upright in a secured rack or trolley, away from heat sources and flammable materials. Patients receiving oxygen must not smoke or use electronic cigarettes, and visitors must be told about this rule. Check the cylinder gauge at the start of each shift and order a replacement when it shows less than a quarter full.
Text for question 6: Part B: Clinical photographs
Clinical photographs
Photographs of patients may be taken for the clinical record only with the patient's written consent, using a hospital-approved device. Personal mobile phones must not be used. Images should be uploaded to the record on the same day and then deleted from the device.
Text for question 7: Part B: Gastroenteritis outbreak
Gastroenteritis outbreak
During a gastroenteritis outbreak, affected patients should be cared for in single rooms where possible. Alcohol-based hand rub is less effective against some viruses that cause gastroenteritis, so staff should wash their hands with soap and water after caring for these patients. Visitors should be limited to two per patient.
Text for question 8: Part B: Escalating a deteriorating patient
Escalating a deteriorating patient
If a patient's observations fall in the yellow zone of the observation chart, increase the frequency of observations and inform the nurse in charge. If any observation is in the red zone, call the rapid response team immediately. Staff may also call the team if they are worried about a patient, even when the observations are normal.
Text for question 9: Part B: Allergy documentation
Allergy documentation
All known allergies and the type of reaction must be recorded on the medication chart and in the electronic record on admission. If the patient has no known allergies, write 'nil known' rather than leaving the section blank. A red wristband should be worn by any patient with a documented allergy.
Text for question 10: Part B: Medication storage at home
Medication storage at home
Patients being discharged with strong pain relief should be advised to store their medicines out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard. Any medicines that are no longer needed should be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal. They should not be thrown in household rubbish or flushed down the toilet.
Answer key (6 answers)
| # | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | According to the notice, a replacement cylinder should be ordered | B. when the gauge shows less than a quarter full | 'Order a replacement when it shows less than a quarter full.' Checking happens at the start of each shift (A), but ordering doesn't. |
| 6 | The main purpose of this extract is to | B. set out the rules for taking and storing patient photographs | It covers consent, which device to use and what to do with the images: rules, not photography technique (A). |
| 7 | Why are staff told to wash their hands with soap and water? | A. Hand rub may not work well against some of these viruses | 'Alcohol-based hand rub is less effective against some viruses that cause gastroenteritis.' |
| 8 | What does the extract say about calling the rapid response team? | B. Staff can call the team if they are concerned, even with normal observations | 'Staff may also call the team if they are worried… even when the observations are normal.' Yellow zone means informing the nurse in charge (C). |
| 9 | Why should staff write 'nil known' instead of leaving the allergy section blank? | A. So that other staff know the question has been asked | The extract implies that a blank section could mean nobody asked. 'Nil known' shows it was checked. This is a common Part B inference: the reason isn't stated in one phrase, so think about why the rule exists. |
| 10 | What should patients do with medicines they no longer need? | C. Take them back to a pharmacy | 'Returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.' The locked cupboard (B) is for medicines still in use. |
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