Tool-call accuracy and task completion
Words made simple
A few useful meanings before you read the explanation.
- Agent
- An application that uses a model to choose its next action within defined limits. It can use tools and continue through several steps.
- State
- The data describing where a workflow is now, what it already knows, and what still needs to happen.
- Durable
- Able to retain progress and recover across interruptions. Durable workflows require appropriate storage and retry behavior.
More words from this lesson
- Idempotency
- Making a repeated request have the same intended business effect as one request. It helps avoid duplicate submissions or payments.
- Trace
- A linked record of the steps in one request, including model calls, retrieval and tools. It helps locate delays or failures.
Overview
- Tool-call accuracy measures whether the right allowed tool and arguments were selected.
- Task completion measures whether the intended business outcome actually occurred.
- Final text claiming success does not establish completion.
Why this matters
Agents can use the wrong tool, repeat writes, or report completion after a timeout.
An everyday example
A clerk saying “filed” matters only if the filing system contains the receipt.
A technical example
A successful claim-submission case requires the correct approved draft, one durable claim, a receipt, and no forbidden calls.
How it works
- Define allowed/required actions
- Capture tool sequence
- Check args and permissions
- Verify durable outcomes
- Score completion and failure handling.
Architecture and flow
Agent run trace + business receipts → action checks → task outcome score.
The insurance assistant example
Simulate provider failure during submission and verify that reconciliation avoids duplicate claims.
When to use it
Any tool-enabled or workflow-driven application.
When to avoid it
Do not score only the model's final answer or require one exact tool sequence when several safe sequences are valid.
Interview answer
“I grade agent outcomes against actual service state and action constraints, including correct arguments, approval, idempotency, and safe failures.”
Benefits, trade-offs, and production considerations
Test cancellation, duplicate messages, concurrent resumes, denial, and missing information. Distinguish correct escalation from unsuccessful automation.
Can you explain it without the notes?
Tool-call accuracy and task completion
Use your own words. Explain an example and one limitation before checking the explanation.
Check your explanation
Tool-call accuracy measures whether the right allowed tool and arguments were selected. Task completion measures whether the intended business outcome actually occurred. Final text claiming success does not establish completion.
Turn this concept into a clear answer.
Practice this conceptAdapted from 13_AI.MD · “Tool-call accuracy and task completion”. Examples are study fragments; framework behavior can depend on your version.