Key points
- Few-shot examples are the most effective technique for consistently formatted, actionable output when instructions alone fall short.
- Examples demonstrate ambiguous-case handling, such as tool selection for unclear requests or whether a branch counts as a coverage gap.
- Good examples let the model generalize judgment to novel patterns rather than only matching the cases shown.
- In extraction, examples reduce hallucination on informal measurements and varied document structures.
- Two to four targeted examples, each with the reasoning for the chosen action, are usually enough.
Common misconceptions
- "More examples are always better." A handful of targeted, ambiguous cases beats a pile of easy ones.
- "Telling the model not to hallucinate works as well as showing it." Demonstration teaches handling; prohibition does not.
- "Examples only teach the exact cases shown." They are chosen so the model generalizes.
Watch for
- A third page of instructions when two pages have already failed.
- Examples that only cover obvious cases and leave the ambiguity unaddressed.
- Fixing empty fields with retries when the real gap is unseen document layouts.
Practice Task 4.2
Start with the free 10-question check to see where you stand across all five domains. In CCA Prep Studio, 56 practice items cover this task, each tracked toward your mastery score.