# Write task prompts

Give the candidate a real task. Put the scoring rules in the rubric.

<a id="task"></a>

## Write what the user would ask

### prompt.md

```markdown
Write a SQL query for the ten most recent orders for a customer.
```

| Put in the prompt | Put in judge.md |
| --- | --- |
| The user's goal and constraints | What qualifies as pass or fail |
| Context the agent should have | Domain facts used to check its answer |
| Requested output or deliverable | Accepted alternatives and edge cases |

OpenEval sends prompt.md verbatim. If you want to measure whether an agent notices missing information, preserve that ambiguity in the task.

<a id="context"></a>

## Make the starting conditions explicit

### evals/query-from-schema/

```text
prompt.md
judge.md
workspace/
  schema.sql
  README.md
```

### workspace/schema.sql

```sql
CREATE TABLE orders (
  id BIGINT PRIMARY KEY,
  customer_id BIGINT NOT NULL,
  created_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL,
  total DECIMAL(12, 2) NOT NULL
);
```

Use workspace files for project context. Keep evaluator references and answer keys in judge.md, outside the candidate environment.

<a id="review"></a>

## Review the behavior you are measuring

| Question | Useful distinction |
| --- | --- |
| Is this a task or a grading hint? | Ask for the outcome; let the candidate choose its method. |
| Would another valid workflow pass? | Keep command choices out of the rubric unless they are the intended behavior. |
| What happens if it only asks a question? | Make that outcome explicit in each criterion. |
| Is the task reproducible? | Supply the starting files and pin external inputs. |

[Documentation index](https://openev.al/llms.txt)