Prompt Engineering Fundamentals
Last reviewed
Correct answer: A. Ambiguity and conflicting instructions in the same prompt
Explanation
The principle — Two instructions that cannot both be satisfied do not average out. The model resolves the conflict somehow on every run, and the resolution varies.
Why the key is correct — Google's checklist names ambiguity as using subjective or relative qualifiers that lack a concrete measurable definition, which is exactly what "short", "thorough" and "brevity" are. It separately names conflicting instructions and examples, telling you to audit the prompt for logical contradictions, which is what "keep it short" and "do not leave anything out" are. Both faults are present at once, and either alone would produce variation. Replacing all four sentences with a single measurable limit — "three sentences or fewer, and state the refund window" — removes both.
Why the others are wrong — No jargon or role appears anywhere in the prompt. Redundancy is present but is the weaker half of the diagnosis, and no format was requested. And a single task cannot be an overload.
Remember this — When a prompt says a thing twice, check whether it also says the opposite once.
Sources — Google Cloud, Overview of prompting strategies.
Sources
“Conflicting instructions and examples: Check for this by auditing the prompt for logical contradictions or mismatches between instructions or an instruction and an example.”
Practise 10 questions on this topic
Take Prompt Engineering Fundamentals — Timed Test 1 (10 questions) — scored instantly, explanation for every question, no login.