OET Speaking Role-Play Examples for Nurses, Doctors & Pharmacists: Full Transcript & Assessment Breakdown

Last updated: August 15, 2026

An OET Speaking role-play pairs you with a trained interlocutor playing a patient or relative for 5 minutes, using a role-play card that gives you a clinical scenario and specific tasks to complete — not a script to memorise. Below is a full example role-play card, a realistic transcript excerpt, and a breakdown of exactly what OET examiners are listening for against the real assessment criteria.

How the OET Speaking role-play actually works

Two role-plays, each about 5 minutes, immediately after a short warm-up conversation about your professional background. You get 3 minutes to read your role-play card before each one starts. The interlocutor plays the patient/relative role realistically — including showing appropriate emotion, asking follow-up questions, or being reluctant to cooperate if the card calls for it. You’re assessed on two separate criteria groups simultaneously: Linguistic Criteria (the same grammar/vocabulary/pronunciation/fluency criteria used in Writing and Reading) and Clinical Communication Criteria, which is unique to Speaking.

Sample role-play card — Pharmacist

Setting: Community pharmacy
Your role: You are a pharmacist. A patient has come to collect a new prescription for a blood pressure medication (amlodipine).

Task:

• Confirm the patient understands why they’ve been prescribed this medication
• Explain how and when to take it, and the most common side effects (ankle swelling, flushing, headache)
• Find out if the patient is currently taking any other medications, including over-the-counter products
• Address the patient’s concern that they read online this medication “damages your kidneys”

Patient’s card (interlocutor’s brief, not shown to candidate): You’re anxious about starting a new medication. You read something concerning online. You’re also taking ibuprofen regularly for knee pain, which you don’t think to mention unless asked directly.

Realistic transcript excerpt

Pharmacist: Hi, I have your prescription ready — amlodipine, 5 milligrams, once a day. Has your doctor explained a bit about why you’ve been started on this?

Patient: Sort of — something about my blood pressure being high?

Pharmacist: That’s right. Amlodipine works by relaxing your blood vessels, which helps bring your blood pressure down and reduces your risk of things like heart attack or stroke over time. You’ll take one tablet each day, ideally at the same time — many people find it easiest with breakfast.

Patient: Okay. Are there side effects I should know about?

Pharmacist: The most common ones are some swelling around the ankles, a flushed feeling in the face, or occasionally a mild headache in the first week or two. These usually settle down as your body adjusts. If the swelling becomes uncomfortable or doesn’t improve after a few weeks, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor.

Patient: Actually, I did read something online that this medication can damage your kidneys — is that true?

Pharmacist: I can understand why that would worry you. Amlodipine is actually generally considered kidney-friendly compared to some other blood pressure medications — it’s often specifically chosen for patients where kidney protection matters. What you may have read could relate to a different class of blood pressure medicine, or to rare cases with pre-existing kidney conditions. Do you have any kidney problems you know of?

Patient: No, not that I know of.

Pharmacist: That’s reassuring, then. It’s still a good question to raise, though — well done for checking rather than just going by something you read online. Before you go, can I just check — are you taking anything else at the moment, any other tablets or things you buy yourself, like painkillers?

Patient: Oh — I do take ibuprofen most days, for my knee.

Pharmacist: Good that you mentioned that. Regular ibuprofen can actually reduce how well amlodipine works, and the combination can put some extra strain on the kidneys over time — which connects back to what you asked about earlier. I’d suggest switching to paracetamol for the knee pain where possible, and if you still need something stronger, it’s worth discussing with your doctor rather than continuing the ibuprofen long-term alongside this.

Examiner-style breakdown: what this transcript is doing right

Relationship building — the pharmacist doesn’t dismiss the patient’s online-research concern; “I can understand why that would worry you” validates it before correcting the misinformation. This single line is worth more under Clinical Communication than a technically accurate but cold correction would be.

Information giving — side effects are explained with a “why” and a “what to do if,” not just a list. Compare “you might get ankle swelling” (bare fact) with the transcript’s version, which adds when it typically resolves and when to escalate — this is what separates a pass from a strong pass on this criterion.

Information gathering — notice the medication question isn’t asked first; it comes after rapport and explanation are established, and it’s asked directly (“are you taking anything else”) rather than left to chance. The ibuprofen detail was in the patient’s brief specifically to reward candidates who ask this — many candidates lose marks here simply by not asking a direct enough question.

Providing structure — the conversation moves in a clear order (confirm understanding → explain use → side effects → address the specific concern → check other medications) without feeling like a checklist being read aloud. Under time pressure, candidates often either skip structure entirely (rambling) or become too rigid (visibly working through a mental list) — both cost marks.

Understanding and incorporating the patient’s perspective — the closing line connects the kidney concern back to the ibuprofen interaction (“which connects back to what you asked about earlier”) — showing the pharmacist was actually listening across the whole conversation, not just answering each question in isolation.

Common role-play mistakes

1. Treating it as a monologue instead of a conversation. The interlocutor will interject, ask questions, or express concern if given space to — candidates who deliver a prepared-sounding speech without pausing for the patient’s reaction typically underperform on Relationship Building regardless of how accurate the medical content is.
2. Ignoring emotional cues on the card. If the brief signals anxiety, reluctance, or confusion, the candidate is expected to notice and respond to it — not just complete the clinical tasks listed.
3. Over-explaining medical detail the patient didn’t ask for. OET Speaking rewards clear, appropriately-pitched communication, not a demonstration of clinical knowledge — over-explaining can come across as talking at the patient rather than with them.

Frequently asked questions

Is the OET Speaking role-play scripted?

No — you’re given a scenario and specific tasks on your role-play card, but the conversation itself is spontaneous. The interlocutor responds naturally and may ask follow-up questions you can’t fully predict, which is why practising the underlying communication skills matters more than memorising phrases.

How is OET Speaking scored differently from a general English speaking test?

It’s assessed on two separate criteria sets at once: standard linguistic criteria (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency) plus profession-specific Clinical Communication criteria (relationship building, understanding the patient’s perspective, providing structure, information gathering, information giving) — a candidate can have strong general English and still lose marks on clinical communication if the interaction feels transactional rather than patient-centred.

Do pharmacists get different role-play scenarios from nurses and doctors?

Yes — OET Speaking is profession-specific, so pharmacists, nurses, dentists, and doctors each sit role-plays relevant to their actual clinical context, drawn from a bank the exam maintains for that profession.

How long is each role-play, and how much preparation time do I get?

Around 5 minutes per role-play, with 3 minutes to read the card beforehand. Two role-plays are completed in total, each with a different interlocutor scenario.

ELP’s OET coaching includes live role-play practice with real-time feedback against the actual Clinical Communication criteria above — not just general English correction. Book a free OET speaking assessment on WhatsApp: 0300-6107060