ring-testing-skills-with-subagents

name	ring:testing-skills-with-subagents
description	Hardening a skill so it resists rationalization under pressure: run combined-pressure scenarios on a subagent without the skill (RED), capture excuses verbatim, write/edit the skill (GREEN), then plug loopholes (REFACTOR) until compliance holds. Use when deploying or editing a discipline-enforcing skill that an agent could rationalize away. Skip for pure reference skills with no rules to violate.

Testing Skills With Subagents

When to use

• Before deploying a new skill
• After editing an existing skill
• Skill enforces discipline that could be rationalized away

Skip when

• Pure reference skill → no behavior to test
• No rules that agents have incentive to bypass

Related

Complementary: ring:writing-skills, ring:test-driven-development

Testing skills is TDD applied to process documentation.

Run scenarios without the skill (RED — watch agent fail), write skill addressing those failures (GREEN), then close loopholes (REFACTOR).

Prerequisite: Understand ring:test-driven-development first. Complete worked example: examples/CLAUDE_MD_TESTING.md.

When to Test

Test skills that: enforce discipline (TDD, testing requirements), have compliance costs (time, effort, rework), could be rationalized away ("just this once"), or contradict immediate goals (speed over quality).

Skip: Pure reference skills (API docs), skills without rules to violate.

TDD Mapping

TDD Phase	Skill Testing	What You Do
RED	Baseline test	Run scenario WITHOUT skill, watch agent fail