Dictionary
Self-Consistency
Sampling multiple answers and picking the majority to reduce errors.
1 min readupdated 2026-07-04
/ quick answer
Self-consistency runs the same prompt N times at temperature > 0 and aggregates. Cheap way to boost accuracy on reasoning tasks without changing the model. Sampling multiple answers and picking the majority to reduce errors.
Sampling multiple answers and picking the majority to reduce errors. Self-consistency runs the same prompt N times at temperature > 0 and aggregates. Cheap way to boost accuracy on reasoning tasks without changing the model. In practice: A math tutor asks the model 5 times and returns the most common answer. This dictionary node is part of the Onexial knowledge graph and links to related concepts, workflows and tools below.
Definition
Self-consistency runs the same prompt N times at temperature > 0 and aggregates. Cheap way to boost accuracy on reasoning tasks without changing the model.
Example
A math tutor asks the model 5 times and returns the most common answer.
/ frequently asked
What is Self-Consistency?
Self-consistency runs the same prompt N times at temperature > 0 and aggregates. Cheap way to boost accuracy on reasoning tasks without changing the model.
What is an example of Self-Consistency?
A math tutor asks the model 5 times and returns the most common answer.
Why does Self-Consistency matter for AI and automation?
Sampling multiple answers and picking the majority to reduce errors. It connects to the workflows, prompts and tool stacks linked on this page, so you can move from definition to execution without leaving Onexial.
↳ connected nodes
Dictionary↳ linked
Few-Shot Prompting
Showing the model 2–5 examples of the task inside the prompt so it mirrors the pattern.
Dictionary↳ linked
Chain-of-Thought Prompting
Instructing a model to think step by step before answering.
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Zero-Shot Prompting
Asking a model to do a task with no examples in the prompt.
Dictionary↳ linked
Prompt Chaining
Pipelining LLM calls where each step's output feeds the next.
Dictionary↳ linked
Chain of Thought
Prompting an LLM to reason step-by-step before answering, often improving accuracy on hard tasks.
Dictionary↳ linked
System Prompt
A high-priority instruction that sets the model's role, tone and constraints for the whole conversation.