assess-model-fit — Evaluate current model capability

Determine whether the current Claude model is sufficient for your task, or recommend escalation to a higher-level model. Runs in procedural mode (checklist guidance) or executable mode (analyze a task and auto-recommend).

Procedure

Assess model fit (manual, procedural mode)

  1. Identify the current model. Check your session or settings. Common tiers:
    • Tier 1: Fable 5 (claude-fable-5), Opus 4.8 (claude-opus-4-8)
    • Tier 2: Sonnet 4.6 / 5 (claude-sonnet-4-6)
    • Tier 3: Haiku 4.5 (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)
  2. Score your task against these criteria. A task needs escalation or orchestrator-worker delegation if it hits any of these:
    • Deep multi-step reasoning: more than 5 logical steps, complex dependencies, or architectural design decisions
    • Code review rigor: assessing code for subtle bugs, security gaps, performance, or architectural issues (not just syntax)
    • Large context window needed: task involves many files, long documents, or substantial history to reason over
    • Complex decomposition: breaking down an ambiguous problem into sub-tasks and choosing the right approach (not following a clear spec)
    • Uncertain scope: task requirements are vague and need clarification by reasoning
    • Novel problem: no standard solution applies; requires creative or exploratory thinking
  3. Determine Orchestration Strategy:
    • Solo Executor (Tier 2/3): The task is straightforward, bounded, well-specified, and single-purpose.
    • Orchestrator + Worker Delegation (Tier 1 Conductor + Tier 2 Workers): The task is large, multi-stage, or complex. Use Tier 1 to plan and decompose into tasks with strict stop conditions, spawn Tier 2 workers to implement, and audit before merging.
    • Escalate Model: If the current model struggles with reasoning or loops on a bug, escalate immediately to Tier 1.
  4. If escalation needed, invoke /select-model to determine the target. Describe your task, and select-model will recommend the optimal tier and suggest a config update if desired.

Executable mode (auto-analysis and auto-chaining)

Instead of running the checklist manually, invoke the skill with a task description. The script will analyze the task, output an assessment, and if escalation is needed, automatically call select-model:

/assess-model-fit --task "I need to refactor a large REST API module and add comprehensive unit tests"

The script reads your current model, evaluates the task complexity, and either gives you a go-ahead or chains into select-model with your task details.

How to use

  • Procedural mode (manual checklist): Read this procedure, run through the scoring criteria, decide if escalation is needed.
  • Executable mode (auto-analysis): Invoke /assess-model-fit --task "<your task description>" and let the script recommend a verdict and model.
  • When in doubt: Use executable mode — it’s faster and catches nuance the manual checklist might miss.
  • Broader stack recommendation (recm): Use recm when deciding across harnesses, billing tiers, or multi-engine review rather than within-session Claude escalation.
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