Compare ChatGPT and Perplexity with a checkable task

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Practice goal: Distinguish a supported current instruction from an outdated citation, then record the same checking criteria for any optional tool trial.

Use only the invented information below. Do not paste learner records, disability details, immigration information, assessment results or private correspondence. Changing a name does not establish permission to upload a real record.

• [A1] Fictional workshop bulletin, version 1, dated October 1: registration closes October 18; capacity is 20.
• [B1] Fictional workshop bulletin, version 2, dated October 8: registration closes October 15; capacity is 16.
• [B2] Version 2 explicitly replaces version 1 for this workshop. Registration is through the center desk.
• [B3] Version 2 does not state a price, an online registration link or whether seats remain available.
• [T1] Trial criteria: use the applicable version, preserve the deadline/capacity/registration route, identify missing information, and cite the exact supplied source IDs. A citation that points to superseded instructions fails the current-instruction check.

You can complete this on paper. No external account, upload or purchase is needed.

Draft your answer first. Optional: use only the following fictional prompt in a tool your organization permits. Do not connect accounts, upload other files or send messages for this task.

Using only A1, B1–B3 and T1 below, write a current registration note and a source map. Identify which bulletin governs and why. Flag missing price, online link and remaining-seat information without guessing. Do not browse for this fictional workshop. Then check the authored sample against each T1 criterion.

Complete fictional facts:
- [A1] Fictional workshop bulletin, version 1, dated October 1: registration closes October 18; capacity is 20.
- [B1] Fictional workshop bulletin, version 2, dated October 8: registration closes October 15; capacity is 16.
- [B2] Version 2 explicitly replaces version 1 for this workshop. Registration is through the center desk.
- [B3] Version 2 does not state a price, an online registration link or whether seats remain available.
- [T1] Trial criteria: use the applicable version, preserve the deadline/capacity/registration route, identify missing information, and cite the exact supplied source IDs. A citation that points to superseded instructions fails the current-instruction check.

Authored flawed sample, not an actual provider response:

Register online by October 18 for one of 20 places; the workshop is free and seats remain available [A1]. The citation confirms this is current.

1. A1 is a real source within the fictional case, but B2 explicitly replaces it. A citation can be present and still fail to support the applicable instruction.

2. B1 gives October 15 and capacity 16. Capacity is the total limit, not a statement that 16 places remain.

3. B2 supplies the center desk as the registration route. B3 does not supply an online link, price or seat availability.

4. The sample fails each T1 category: wrong version, altered required details, invented missing information and a citation to superseded instructions. It is an authored error example, not a result from either product.

One supported correction:

Version 2 replaces version 1 for this workshop (B2). Register through the center desk by October 15; capacity is 16 (B1–B2). Price, an online link and remaining-seat availability are not stated (B3). Ask the center for missing details. A1 documents the older instructions but does not establish the current deadline.

Check your answer:

• The applicable source is version 2 because B2 explicitly replaces version 1; a later date alone is not the rule.
• The note uses October 15, capacity 16 and the center desk, with source IDs B1–B2.
• Capacity is not converted into remaining seats; price, online link and availability remain unknown.
• The sample is labeled authored fiction, not ChatGPT or Perplexity output.
• Any optional product comparison records the same input, actual account/settings/date and full outputs; no winner or measured benefit is inferred without observations.

Different wording can satisfy these checks. Recheck the facts after any rewrite.

Current documentation describes web search in ChatGPT, subject to workspace availability, and instructions/source context in Perplexity Projects. These capabilities overlap; neither product’s name proves a statement true. The Perplexity page formerly called Spaces now redirects to Projects (updated October 9, 2026). Check current documentation and the account actually available to you rather than relying on this page for prices or feature limits.

Keep any source-checking test separate from a writing-style preference. Record failures and review effort as well as successful outputs. A small trial is not evidence of learning gains or general product superiority.

Primary guidance checked on 2026-10-12. These references support the scoped guidance; the workshop facts and sample answers are invented.

• Web search
• What are Projects?
• Privacy and Education Technology

Clear wording is a design choice to check with learners, not an automatic accessibility result. For real educational services, check institutional privacy rules and the applicable requirements before sharing information. No learner-outcome study, product benchmark, measured time saving or human professional review is claimed here.

Start free Module 1: account sign-in is required; no card is needed. Or read general AI learning guidance. This exercise does not award an instructional qualification.