Workflow Uses Planner Two Question Explained
This worked AI Engineer Interview practice question tests System Reasoning. Try the answer first, then review why C is the best choice.
Short answer
The correct answer is C. Correlated identity for every run, step, and handoff, with replayable event timelines — so you can locate the first invalid transition..
Diagnosing multi-agent failure means finding the first invalid transition, which requires correlated, replayable traces across handoffs — the final error is the last symptom, not the cause. The key is to match the exact action in the prompt to the tool, command, or concept that performs that action directly. Here, C. Correlated identity for every run, step, and handoff, with replayable event timelines — so you can locate the first invalid transition. is the only option that satisfies the scenario without adding unrelated behavior.
The Question
A workflow uses a planner, two specialist agents, and a reviewer. 1% of runs loop until the budget expires, and the final error says nothing about which handoff failed. What is the structural fix?
Why C is correct
Diagnosing multi-agent failure means finding the first invalid transition, which requires correlated, replayable traces across handoffs — the final error is the last symptom, not the cause. The key is to match the exact action in the prompt to the tool, command, or concept that performs that action directly. Here, C. Correlated identity for every run, step, and handoff, with replayable event timelines — so you can locate the first invalid transition. is the only option that satisfies the scenario without adding unrelated behavior.
Why the other options are wrong
Option A does not match the requirement in the prompt. The correct answer is C because Diagnosing multi-agent failure means finding the first invalid transition, which requires correlated, replayable traces across handoffs — the final error is the last symptom, not the cause.
Option B does not match the requirement in the prompt. The correct answer is C because Diagnosing multi-agent failure means finding the first invalid transition, which requires correlated, replayable traces across handoffs — the final error is the last symptom, not the cause.
Option D does not match the requirement in the prompt. The correct answer is C because Diagnosing multi-agent failure means finding the first invalid transition, which requires correlated, replayable traces across handoffs — the final error is the last symptom, not the cause.
Key idea: System Reasoning
Every question is a production situation an AI engineer interviewer can put to you: a failing endpoint, a cost spike, an agent that loops, an eval that disagrees with users. The best answer is almost always the one that measures or contains the problem before it changes the model or the prompt. If you miss a question, note which habit it tests: decompose before you fix, put the security boundary where the side effect happens, and trust an eval only after you check what it covers. The 12 open-ended questions with answer guides are at aijobprep.app/questions/ai-engineer.html.
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