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Write 5 edge-case tests for a campus citation bot

Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're helping the writing center test its APA citation bot, and you need 5 test cases: an empty message, an adversarial request (asking it to write the paper), the wrong style (asking for MLA), a very long input (40 sources), and a refusal case (asking it to make up a source). Write exactly 5 numbered lines, each 'N. Case | Message: "exact message" | Expected: what the bot should do per its rules'. Plain text, under 200 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Generic test cases. The AI writes 'test that it handles errors', which no one can run. Try: Say: "Each Message is an exact student message in quotes."
  • Not naming the edge cases. The AI tests normal citations and forgets the adversarial and refusal ones. Try: List them: "empty, write my paper, MLA, 40 sources, make up a source."
  • Vague expected results. The AI writes 'responds appropriately' instead of what the rules require. Try: Add: "Expected says exactly what the bot's rules require."
  • Too many tests. The AI writes a long test plan with 10 or more cases. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 5 numbered lines."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the edge cases
  • Asks for exact messages
  • Ties expected to the rules
  • Says exactly how many
  • Asks for plain text

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