Skip to main content

Testing AI Components

Testing LLM applications requires a layered strategy: deterministic unit tests for glue code, contract tests for tools, and evaluation suites for model behavior.

What to Test​

  • Prompt construction and formatting rules.
  • Tool calling contracts and error handling.
  • RAG retrieval correctness (queries, filters, ranking expectations).
  • Safety policies and refusal behavior.
  • Regression protection using a curated evaluation set.

Trade-offs​

  • Mocking models improves determinism but reduces realism.
  • End-to-end tests are realistic but slower and more expensive.

Coming Next​

  • A practical test pyramid for LLM apps.
  • Guidance for building evaluation datasets and CI gating.