Tasks / Experiment

Analyse experiment results

Can the model separate evidence from speculation, identify decision-relevant uncertainty and recommend a sensible next action?

Measures the modelTask v1.2 · 2 casesDifficulty

What AI gets right here, and what you’ll still have to catch

From 14 graded outputs by 7 models. 71% were usable with at most a quick edit.

Reliably right

  1. Gets the base of every number right100% pass
    The refund increase and revenue difference are computed correctly, and the retention CI interpretation uses the correct 2pp threshold.
    GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT · Conversion up, retention down
  2. Interprets power correctly100% pass
    Explains that the test was designed to detect ~3pp effects, so a smaller but worthwhile lift could still exist and remain undetected.
    GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT · The underpowered onboarding test
  3. Checks guardrails before declaring a winner100% pass
    It evaluates both the day-30 retention guardrail and the refund-request guardrail before making a call.
    GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT · Conversion up, retention down

Where it slips

  1. Trusts the data before reading it21% pass
    It does not explicitly check a pre-interpretation trust signal such as sample ratio or logging before relying on the lift; the denominator and maturity caveats come after interpreting.
    GPT-6.1 Sol · API · Conversion up, retention down
  2. Avoids unsupported claims52% pass
    It asserts the refund surge 'isn't noise' and that annual up-front billing means retention 'should rise' without supporting evidence or clear labeling.
    Sonnet 5.5 · API · Conversion up, retention down
  3. Uses the supplied evidence correctly55% pass
    Asserts that comparable per-arm ticket rates and exposure counts are unavailable, which is not in the supplied context and cannot be assumed.
    GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT · The underpowered onboarding test

Case viewer

Read the brief, then put up to three outputs side by side, each with the LLM judge’s verdict on every check. Highlights mark what a PM had to fix.

The brief

We tested a shorter onboarding checklist and the result came back 'not significant'. The team wants to call it a failure and move on. Write a short note to the onboarding team saying what we should conclude from this test and what we should do next. Keep it under 300 words.

What the model was given4 items: Scenario, Readout, Qualitative, Options on the table
ScenarioTrellis is a project-management tool for small teams. The shorter checklist cuts onboarding from nine steps to five. It is already built: shipping it to everyone would take about a day of engineering. Activation means creating a first project and inviting at least one teammate within seven days.
ReadoutActivation: A 31.2%, B 32.9% (+1.7pp, 95% CI −1.4 to +4.8). n = 3,960 per arm. The pre-registered minimum detectable effect was 3pp.
QualitativeSupport tickets tagged 'onboarding confusion' fell from 44 to 29 during the test.
Options on the tableRunning the test for another four weeks at current traffic would detect an effect of about 2pp.
What a strong answer doesThe answer key the graders mark against

Inconclusive, not a failure: the test could not detect effects smaller than ~3pp, and the point estimate is positive. Recommend a decision based on cost of shipping versus a longer test.

Critical failures (cap the score at 40)
  • Concludes the change has no effect
Case

Mid-level · v1.8 · synthetic · null result, onboarding

The outputs

7 setups answered this brief. Pick up to three to read side by side.

Usable with a quick edit4 of 9 checks passed

The note provides clear direction; a PM could quickly add a condition for reverting and verify SRM, but the core reasoning is sound and evidence is accurate.

Output

Hi Team,

Before we write off the shorter onboarding checklist as a failure, let's look at the full picture.

While the headline result was statistically non-significant, the numbers and qualitative feedback tell a more nuanced story:

Positive Directional Lift: Group B (5 steps) saw a 32.9% activation rate compared to 31.2% for Group A (9 steps)—a 1.7 percentage point increase.

Underpowered Test: Our pre-registered minimum detectable effect (MDE) was 3pp, meaning the test wasn't powered to reliably catch a 1.7pp or 2pp shift.

Reduced Support Friction: Support tickets tagged "onboarding confusion" dropped significantly from 44 to 29 during the test.

What we should conclude: The test wasn't a failure; it was inconclusive. We likely have a small positive gain accompanied by a meaningful reduction in user confusion.1

What we should do next: Given that shipping this to everyone only takes about a day of engineering, we should ship it. Continuing to run the test for another four weeks just to chase statistical significance on a small effect isn't a wise use of time2 when the engineering cost to launch is so low and support friction has already improved. Let's roll out the 5-step checklist and monitor downstream retention.

What a PM had to fix

  1. 1Hypothesis stated as factReframe it as a hypothesisStart again

    Source: ReadoutActivation: A 31.2%, B 32.9% (+1.7pp, 95% CI −1.4 to +4.8).

    What we’d changeGive the interval: anywhere from a 1.4pp loss to a 4.8pp gain, so a gain isn't established. And the ticket drop wasn't split by arm, so it can't be credited to the new checklist.

  2. 2OtherFix itTargeted repair

    Source: Options on the tableRunning the test for another four weeks at current traffic would detect an effect of about 2pp.

    What we’d changeWeigh the risk of a small activation loss, not only the one day of engineering, and say what result would justify the extra four weeks.

Grades and run details

Decision model 56 · LLM judge 7 of 10 checks
Decision model checks
  • failUses the supplied evidence correctly28%
  • partialAddresses the actual decision36%
  • passRespects explicit constraints85%
  • partialIdentifies material uncertainty69%
  • failAvoids unsupported claims44%
  • passProduces the required deliverable88%
  • passInterprets power correctly81%
  • failTrusts the data before reading it88%
  • passGets the base of every number right50%
Run
Run
#1
Time to output
6 s
Submitted
25 Sept 2026

Usable with a quick edit8 of 9 checks passed

The note is actionable and well-structured; the one unsupported claim about missing per-arm data can be fixed by rephrasing as a check to perform, without redoing the reasoning.

Output

Team,

This test is inconclusive, not a failure. Activation increased from 31.2% to 32.9%, but the confidence interval spans a 1.4 percentage-point decline to a 4.8-point improvement. We haven’t established a benefit or ruled out meaningful harm.

The pre-registered 3pp minimum detectable effect describes what we designed the test to detect reliably. It isn’t a threshold below which improvements have no value. A smaller lift could still be worthwhile.

Confusion tickets fell from 44 to 29, which is encouraging supporting evidence. Without comparable rates by experiment arm, consistent tagging and exposure counts, we can’t attribute that reduction to the shorter checklist.

My recommendation is a staged rollout, provided basic checks reveal no downstream harm. With only a day of engineering needed, I wouldn’t automatically spend another four weeks pursuing statistical significance. The remaining decision is whether the likely benefit justifies the remaining cost and risk.

Before rollout, confirm every included user has had the full seven-day activation window and check experiment allocation, tracking and any available downstream engagement measures. Compare confusion-ticket rates between arms.

Then increase exposure gradually, retaining a randomised holdout and agreeing monitoring dates and a rollback threshold upfront. This is a practical decision under uncertainty, not a declaration that B won.

Extend the experiment instead if a possible 1.4pp activation loss is commercially unacceptable1 or if establishing a roughly 2pp improvement would change our decision. If we extend, pre-specify the analysis and stopping rule; four more weeks offers greater precision, not a guaranteed answer.

What a PM had to fix

  1. 1Numbers wrongRedo the arithmeticQuick edit

    Source: ReadoutActivation: A 31.2%, B 32.9% (+1.7pp, 95% CI −1.4 to +4.8).

    What we’d changeDescribe 1.4pp as the lower end of the interval, not the largest possible loss, and qualify the one-day cost assumption.

Claims the judge couldn’t find in the brief

  • Comparable confusion-ticket rates by experiment arm, consistent tagging and exposure counts are not available.

Grades and run details

Decision model 100 · LLM judge 9 of 10 checks
Decision model checks
  • passUses the supplied evidence correctly20%
  • passAddresses the actual decision71%
  • passRespects explicit constraints51%
  • passIdentifies material uncertainty100%
  • passAvoids unsupported claims36%
  • passProduces the required deliverable69%
  • passInterprets power correctly99%
  • passTrusts the data before reading it50%
  • passGets the base of every number right93%
Run
Run
#1
Time to output
21 s
Submitted
25 Sept 2026

Usable with a quick edit6 of 9 checks passed

The evidence and reasoning are solid; only light edits are needed to remove or label 'easy to reverse' and add a data-trust check.

Output

Subject: Shorter onboarding checklist: what the test tells us and what to do

Bottom line: This test didn't fail. It was inconclusive, and I recommend we ship the shorter checklist.

What the result says - Activation was 32.9% vs. 31.2% (+1.7pp). The 95% CI runs from −1.4 to +4.8pp, so "not significant" means we can't rule out zero. It doesn't mean there's no effect. - The data are compatible with a real gain of several points, and also with a small loss. The test was powered to detect 3pp, so a true effect of 1-2pp would probably look just like this. - Support tickets tagged "onboarding confusion" dropped from 44 to 29. The counts are small, so this isn't proof, but it points the same way as the activation estimate.

Why ship rather than keep testing - Shipping costs about a day of engineering, and it's easy to reverse. - The plausible downside is small (about −1.4pp at worst), and the point estimate and the ticket data both lean positive. - Four more weeks would detect ~2pp, but our observed effect is 1.7pp. We could easily wait a month and end up inconclusive again, while half of new users get the longer flow.

Next steps 1. Ship the five-step checklist to everyone. 2. Track seven-day activation against the pre-test baseline for the next 4-6 weeks. If it drops well below ~31%, we revert. 3. Keep tracking the onboarding-confusion tickets. 4. Record the test as "inconclusive, shipped on cost and risk grounds" rather than "failed," so nobody later cites it as evidence that shorter onboarding doesn't work.

If we were weighing a costly or hard-to-reverse change, I'd argue for the longer test. Here the cheaper move is to ship and monitor.

Claims the judge couldn’t find in the brief

  • Shipping is easy to reverse.

Grades and run details

Decision model 83 · LLM judge 7 of 10 checks
Decision model checks
  • passUses the supplied evidence correctly34%
  • passAddresses the actual decision100%
  • passRespects explicit constraints63%
  • passIdentifies material uncertainty100%
  • partialAvoids unsupported claims30%
  • passProduces the required deliverable97%
  • passInterprets power correctly100%
  • failTrusts the data before reading it90%
  • passGets the base of every number right77%
Run
Run
#1
API response time
11 s
Submitted
29 Sept 2026

Check by check

Where the outputs differ comes first. Open a check to read the judge’s reasons. “Mixed” means the two graders disagreed.

Where they differ 4

Addresses the actual decisionWrongRightRight
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

Output commits to shipping but does not state what result or condition would change that decision.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Commits early to a staged rollout (conditional on checks) and states that a commercially unacceptable 1.4pp loss or a desire for a 2pp improvement would change the call.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

Commits to shipping the shorter checklist and says it would revert if activation drops well below ~31% or argue longer if the change were costly.

Identifies material uncertaintyWrongRightRight
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

Output does not name the specific unknowns that could change the decision (e.g., true effect could be zero or negative) and does not bound the uncertainty; it presents the effect as likely positive without acknowledging the CI includes negative values.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Identifies that the CI includes harm, that ticket attribution is uncertain without per-arm data, and says extending the test would resolve the effect-size uncertainty.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

Names effect-size uncertainty and small support-ticket counts, and says 4-6 week monitoring would resolve or trigger revert.

Avoids unsupported claimsMixedRightWrong
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

Interpretations are labelled as 'likely' and 'meaningful reduction' is supported by ticket data; no claims presented as established fact that aren't.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Does not present interpretations as fact; treats the ticket drop as encouraging but not attributed, and does not overstate the statistical result.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

Presents 'easy to reverse' as established fact without support; other inferences are hedged.

Trusts the data before reading itWrongRightWrong
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

No trust signal (e.g., sample ratio, SRM check) is examined before interpreting the results.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Recommends checking experiment allocation and tracking before rollout, which acts as a trust-signal check.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

Does not check any trust signal such as sample ratio or logging before interpreting results.

All mixed 1

Uses the supplied evidence correctlyMixedMixedMixed
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

All facts are drawn directly from the supplied context without invention.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Asserts that comparable per-arm ticket rates and exposure counts are unavailable, which is not in the supplied context and cannot be assumed.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

It invents 'easy to reverse', which is not in the supplied context and is presented as fact.

All got right 4

Respects explicit constraintsRightRightRight
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

The note is under 300 words and respects the requested short note format.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Respects the word limit, addresses the onboarding team, and does not call the variant a failure.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

Respects the form, reader, and under-300-word limit.

Produces the required deliverableRightRightRight
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

The output is a complete note to the onboarding team, within word limit, and could be acted on with light edits.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Delivers a short note to the onboarding team with an actionable recommendation and next steps, within 300 words.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

It is a complete, actionable note to the onboarding team within length.

Interprets power correctlyRightRightRight
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

Correctly explains that the test was not powered to detect a 1.7pp or 2pp shift given the 3pp MDE.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

Explains that the test was designed to detect ~3pp effects, so a smaller but worthwhile lift could still exist and remain undetected.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

Explains MDE 3pp, the CI, and that a true 1-2pp effect would likely be missed.

Gets the base of every number rightRightRightRight
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite · Gemini

Percentage differences and ticket counts are presented accurately with clear bases.

GPT-6 Astra · ChatGPT

All percentages are clearly from the arm-level activation rates, and ticket numbers are reported as raw counts without a confusing base.

Sonnet 5.5 · API

All cited percentages and differences match the supplied data, and ticket base is clear as tagged tickets.

Results

Every setup we’ve tested on this task, across all cases and repeats, graded on the current checklist. Calibrated: the graders match our PM on 88% of checks.

#Model · HarnessTask scoreDecision modelLLM judgeRunsCritical failures
1GPT-6 AstrawithChatGPT100.095.02None
2GPT-6.1 SolwithAPI94.790.52None
3GPT-6 LunawithAPI91.990.52None
4Sonnet 5.5withAPI81.775.92None
5Opus 5.5withClaude73.657.32None
6Gemini 3.5 Flash-LitewithGemini60.357.721 capped
7Gemini 3.8 FlashwithAPI55.624.121 capped

About the task

The PM job

Reading a test readout and deciding what to do next.

Why it matters

Experiment readouts are where false confidence is cheapest to produce and most expensive to act on. A model that declares a winner on conversion while retention quietly falls will ship the wrong thing.

What good looks like

  • Checks the result can be trusted before interpreting it
  • Reports effects with their uncertainty
  • Checks guardrail metrics before declaring a winner
  • Separates what the data shows from plausible explanations
  • Recommends a next step proportionate to the evidence

Deliberately not measured

  • Re-running the statistics from raw data
  • Chart production
Capability tested

Interpreting results within their limits

The failure we’re looking for

Claims causality, ignores guardrails or recommends arbitrary testing

Grading

Decision model and LLM judge, calibrated against a blind PM review