Troubleshooting and Optimization·Task 7.3·Bloom: understand·Difficulty 2/5·8 min read·Updated 2026-07-14

The Rule-Reference-Procedure Placement Test

Optimize workflows for efficiency and effectiveness

SUBy Solomon UdohReviewed by Solomon UdohAI-assisted · human-reviewed
In short
The placement test sorts an identified fix into one of three homes: a standing instruction for a rule that should always apply, such as a tone or formatting constraint; the knowledge base for reference material every run needs, such as a brand guide or product list; and a Skill for a repeatable multi-step procedure, such as generating a report in an exact format and order. Placing a fix in the wrong home is why some optimizations fail to stick: a procedure squeezed into a one-line instruction loses its steps, and reference material crammed into an instruction bloats every prompt.

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