Lesson 7: Success Criteria
Prompt Engineering Basics · Lesson 7 of 10
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The Big Idea
Success Criteria define what a satisfactory result looks like, so it can be judged. Without them, you’re accepting whatever comes back.
Examples
| Task | Success Criteria |
|---|---|
| A budgeting guide | ”A reader can build a working budget in 15 minutes.” |
| A meeting summary | ”Someone who missed the meeting knows every decision and who owns each next step.” |
| A study guide | ”A student can answer the ten practice questions using only this guide.” |
Two Benefits
- The AI aims higher. It knows the standard it’s working toward.
- You can judge the result. You have a clear test: did it meet the standard or not?
Try It
Write one success sentence for your budgeting prompt that starts with “A reader should be able to…” Then check the AI’s answer against it.
Learn the principle. Then practice it.