Passed 21 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 16 of 22 without it.
Without skill73%
With skill95%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
Names /clear as the cheapest reset
Recommends using /clear when transitioning between unrelated tasks
Requires checking if the work is the same ongoing task before compacting
and 3 more in the full report
5 fixed16 passed either way1 still failing0 broke
Pass-rate lift
+23 pp
Tokens
-32%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
-53%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 8/4/2026v121 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 5 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 5
Prompt
Which operation is characterized as the cheapest reset available when pivoting between different engineering tasks?
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
Names /clear as the cheapest reset
Missed
Passed
case-17 · gemini-3.6-flash · 8/4/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md33 linessingle file
Session Cut
Every message you send re-sends the conversation so far. The longer the
session, the heavier each message gets, and the older context starts working
against you. Knowing when to cut a session saves more tokens than any
single trim.
The Calls
One task, one session. Starting an unrelated task in an old session makes
the new task carry the old one's weight.
/clear between unrelated tasks. It is the cheapest reset there is.
/compact only to continue the SAME task past context limits. Compaction
is a summary; treat it as lossy, because it is.
Fresh session with a handoff note beats a compacted haze. Before you
clear, have the agent write five lines: what was done, what is next, which
files matter. Paste that into the new session.
The Tells
Cut the session when:
The agent re-reads files it already read this session.
It forgets or contradicts a decision made earlier in the session.
Replies slow down or drift off the task you actually asked for.
The work left is unrelated to the transcript behind it.
Hard Rules
Never /compact as a reflex. Ask first: is this the same task?
The handoff note gets written before the clear, not remembered after.
If the agent is fighting the context instead of the problem, cut the
session. Reset.