Specification Grounding Drives Test Effectiveness for LLM Code
Large language models frequently generate code that appears correct on typical inputs yet fails on edge cases, invalid inputs, and other specification-defined corner conditions. A popular fix has the model write its own tests and repair until they pass, but the source of the gain is unclear: does it come from the tests merely existing, or from their grounding in a specification of what the code should do? We isolate this factor. Holding the tester, test budget, and repair loop fixed, we change a single prompt line that controls whether the tester receives the spec as a checklist of rules. The baseline is strong: it is already told to probe invalid inputs and edge cases. Grounding the test...
| Authors | Amin Haeri, Mahdi Ghelichi |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.SE |
| Published | 7 July 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 7 July 2026 |
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