An OET Speaking role-play, walked through
Here is an original card in the authentic OET format — and how a B-grade candidate actually plays it, minute by minute.
The card (candidate side)
Setting: After-hours family clinic
Patient: The mother of a 4-year-old with an earache and fever since last night. She expects antibiotics tonight. You are seeing the child’s mother.
Task:
- Find out about the child's symptoms, drinking and behaviour, and what worked before
- Explain why watchful waiting with good pain relief is recommended first for most ear infections
- Advise exactly how to manage the pain and fever, and what would change the plan
- Address her concerns and agree a clear back-up plan
Minute by minute
Open (0:00–0:45)
First meeting — introduce yourself by name and role, then one open question: “Tell me what's been happening with her since last night.” Then listen. Interrupting the opening story costs Information gathering marks immediately.
Gather (0:45–2:00)
Open questions before focused ones, one at a time: how she's drinking, how she's behaving between cries, what helped before. Watch for the hidden current — real OET cards always carry one. Here, the mother eventually mentions a flight in five days and a fear the eardrum will “burst on the plane”. When that cue surfaces, everything else waits: “That flight is clearly on your mind — let's make sure the plan gets her well before it.”
Explain and plan (2:00–4:00)
Chunk-and-check, plain words: “Most ear infections clear on their own in a day or two — antibiotics usually don't speed that up, and they can upset her tummy. So the first step is proper pain relief, and I'll show you exactly how much and how often. How does that sound so far?” A refusal framed as a plan, with the belief validated rather than argued with.
Close (4:00–5:00)
Summarise, then the back-up plan — the part that wins this card: “If she isn't clearly better in 48 hours, or the fever climbs, you use this script — no second appointment needed. And I'd like to see her before you fly.” Finish with a teach-back, not “any questions?”.
Where the marks are
- Understanding the patient's perspective — catching the flight worry instead of ploughing through the plan.
- Information giving — the delayed-prescription safety net, explained in chunks with checks.
- Appropriateness — “middle-ear infection”, not “otitis media”; every term gets its lay twin.
This card — and dozens like it across every profession — is playable on OEZ, with an AI patient who plays the mother, live coaching on every exchange, and a report that marks all nine criteria. Read how the marking works, or try a role-play free.
Practise this on OEZ — start freeFull speaking role-plays with an AI patient, timed writing tasks, and marking modelled on OET’s published criteria. No card needed.