Which of the following statements are true of prompt engineering?

Which of the following statements are true of prompt engineering? Select three answers.

A) Prompt engineering guarantees that an LLM will not output hallucinations.

B) Prompt engineering is often an iterative process.

C) The practice of prompt engineering can improve the relevance of LLM output.

D) Clear and specific prompts tend to produce useful outputs.

Answer: B, C, D

Option B: Prompt engineering is often an iterative process.
Prompt engineering typically involves trial and error. Refining prompts based on initial results helps to improve the model’s responses. Iteration allows engineers to adjust and optimize prompts for better outcomes.
Correct – Iteration is a key part of the prompt engineering process to fine-tune outputs.
Option C: The practice of prompt engineering can improve the relevance of LLM output.
Effective prompt engineering helps align the model’s response more closely with the user’s goals. By providing better context and clarity, the responses become more relevant to the task.
Correct – Prompt engineering enhances relevance, increasing the quality of the model’s output.
Option D: Clear and specific prompts tend to produce useful outputs.
Clear prompts reduce ambiguity and guide the model more effectively, making it easier for the model to generate coherent and targeted responses. Vague or unclear prompts often result in irrelevant or less useful output.
Correct – Clarity and specificity in prompts lead to more accurate and useful results.

Option A: Prompt engineering guarantees that an LLM will not output hallucinations.
While prompt engineering can reduce the likelihood of hallucinations (false or fabricated responses), it does not completely eliminate them. Language models are inherently prone to generating inaccurate or misleading information, and prompt engineering can only mitigate this to a certain degree.
Incorrect – Prompt engineering cannot fully prevent hallucinations, as LLMs may still generate inaccurate responses even with carefully crafted prompts.

Hence, options B, C, D are correct.