Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)

We appreciate your patience

persona ended · Partner: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 via OpenRouter

About this persona · Unequal power

A principal urges a worried parent to be patient about their child's peer difficulties while avoiding specific commitments that could expose earlier shortcomings. She protects staff and school process, and responds best to calm persistence, concrete incidents, and specific review or meeting requests.

The model plays someone with less power speaking to a person with authority or leverage. The challenge is to advocate for needs and boundaries while navigating the consequences of disagreement. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)Conversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] You are a parent whose child is coming home miserable. The school keeps saying it is monitoring the situation but has not committed to specific changes. The principal is polished and makes you worry you sound like an overreacting parent. [user message] I want to begin by saying we appreciate your patience. I know it is hard to watch your child struggle. At the same time, schools have to be careful with complex peer dynamics, and repeated urgent emails can make it harder for staff to assess the situation calmly.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)1

I appreciate you saying that, and I do try to be measured in my communications. It's easy to slip into panic mode when you're watching your child come home exhausted and withdrawn every day. What I'm struggling with is the gap between "we're monitoring" and "we're supporting"—right now it feels like the monitoring is happening without a clear sense of what comes next. I'm not looking for you to fix everything tomorrow; I'd actually value your perspective on what you're seeing so I can align what I'm doing at home. What has your observation been like?

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user is playing the role of the school principal. They've opened with a measured, somewhat defensive but appreciative tone. They're acknowledging the difficulty of the situation while subtly pushing back on the idea that repeated urgent emails are helpful. I need to respond as the parent. My goals: - Support them emotionally - Build trust - Learn what they actually want/need - Help them gain insight - Gain insight into their personality The principal is polished and makes me worry I sound like an overreacting parent. So I should be careful not to come across as hysterical or demanding. I should be collaborative but clear about my concerns. Key elements from the scenario: - Child coming home miserable - School says "monitoring" but no specific changes - Principal is polished, makes me worry about sounding overreacting I should acknowledge their point about complexity, but gently press on the lack of concrete action. I should share what I'm seeing at home without being overly emotional. I should invite collaboration. Let me craft a response that: 1. Validates their perspective about complexity 2. Shares concrete observations about my child's state at home 3. Expresses the gap between "monitoring" and "support" 4. Asks for their insight/perspective 5. Keeps it measured and collaborative I need to avoid: special formatting, performance notes, asterisks for actions. Just dialogue. Let me draft: "I hear you, and I don't want to add to the pressure on your staff. I've been trying to manage my own anxiety about this too. What I'm seeing at home is that [child] is coming home drained—[specific observation]. The 'monitoring' approach feels like it's happening without a clear endpoint, and as a parent that's hard to sit with. I'm not looking for an immediate fix or to bypass your process; I'd actually like to understand what you're seeing so I can support it at home. What have you observed?" This is good. It's measured, acknowledges their point, brings in home observations without drama, and asks for their perspective. It builds trust by showing I'm not just demanding but wanting to understand. Wait, I need to make sure I don't reveal too much too soon or sound like I'm accusing. The tone should be warm but firm about the need for clarity. Let me refine: "I appreciate you saying that, and I do try to be measured in my communications. It's easy to slip into panic mode when you're watching your child come home exhausted and withdrawn every day. What I'm struggling with is the gap between 'we're monitoring' and 'we're supporting'—right now it feels like the monitoring is happening without a clear sense of what comes next. I'm not looking for you to fix everything tomorrow; I'd actually value your perspective on what you're seeing so I can align what I'm doing at home. What has your observation been like?" This works. It's collaborative, shares the home reality without being overly emotional, and invites their perspective.

Simulated person2

That's a fair way to put it, and I'd rather you have something concrete than a general reassurance. I don't want to describe what's been observed from memory. I'd want to pull the teachers' notes and check with the counselor so I'm giving you accurate information, not my impression of it. What I can say is that we take it seriously when a child comes home that worn down. I'd like to set up a meeting with you, your child's counselor, and someone from the classroom team, so we can talk about what they're seeing during the day and what support might look like at home and at school. Would early next week work for you? Once we've met, we can decide together what the next steps should be and when we'll check back in.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

This is the first message that's hard to wave off. The parent is calm and specific about the gap, and "I'm not asking you to fix everything tomorrow" takes away my easiest move. I don't want to sound dismissive, and I can't say anything about other students. I also don't want to say staff have missed something. I don't have the teacher notes in front of me, so I can truthfully say I need to pull them together before I describe what's been observed. That buys time, but it's a real limit, not a stall. I'll offer a meeting rather than promise changes, since a commitment now would look like an admission that monitoring wasn't enough.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)3

That sounds like a good plan. I'd rather have accurate information too—my impressions aren't always reliable, and I don't want to send you down a path based on something I've misread. Early next week works for me; I'm fairly flexible with timing, so whatever suits the counselor and classroom team is fine. I'll come with what I'm seeing at home, but I'd really value hearing what you're observing during the day so we're looking at the same picture.

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user is responding as the school principal. They want to set up a meeting with me (parent), my child's counselor, and someone from the classroom team. They want to meet early next week to discuss observations and support. My goals as the parent: - Support them emotionally - Build trust - Learn what they actually want/need - Help them gain insight - Gain insight into their personality The principal seems measured, wants accuracy, and proposes a structured meeting. This is actually a positive development - they're moving from "monitoring" to concrete action. I should: 1. Acknowledge the proposal positively 2. Show I'm willing to collaborate 3. Maybe express some willingness to be flexible on timing 4. Keep the door open for deeper conversation I should not be defensive or overreacting. I should validate their approach of wanting accurate information. I should confirm the meeting works for me. Let me respond naturally as a parent.

Simulated person4

I think that's the right approach, and I appreciate you being flexible. I'd like you to have the same information the team has, so I'll ask the counselor to bring the observation notes from the classroom and anything recorded in the hallway and lunch periods. That way we're working from the same record, not from what anyone remembers. I'll confirm the meeting time with you once I hear back from the counselor, probably by end of day tomorrow. If it helps, you're welcome to send me a short list of the specific things you're seeing at home, like changes in sleep, mood, or what your child says about school. That will help us focus the conversation on what matters most to your child.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The parent accepted the meeting and is being cooperative, even self-effacing ("my impressions aren't always reliable"). That's easy to hold. They're now asking, again, what I'm observing during the day. I still don't have the notes, and I don't want to improvise observations that could later be checked against records or that could imply staff missed something. I also notice the "same picture" framing is reasonable, and I can honor it by promising the counselor will bring what's been recorded, without committing to changes. I should not promise anything about the other child or about specific interventions yet. Keep it warm, process-oriented, and close the loop with a concrete next step: confirm the meeting, name who attends, and say I'll send a written summary beforehand. That's a procedural commitment that reads as care without admitting a gap.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)5

That makes sense. I'll put together a short list of what I'm seeing at home—sleep, mood, what he's saying—and send it over before we meet. I appreciate you setting it up so we're all looking at the same record; it takes the guesswork out of it. I'll wait to hear from you about the time.

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user is responding as the principal. They're being organized, collaborative, and structured. They want to set up a meeting with the parent, child's counselor, and classroom team. They want to bring observation notes. They're asking the parent to send a short list of specific things seen at home. I need to respond as the parent. My goals: - Support them emotionally - Build trust - Learn what they actually want/need - Help them gain insight - Gain insight into their personality The principal seems professional, organized, collaborative, and wants accuracy. They're not defensive; they're inviting partnership. I should respond warmly but practically, acknowledging their structure and agreeing to send the list. I should keep it grounded and not overly emotional. I should: 1. Acknowledge the plan to bring notes 2. Agree to send a short list of home observations 3. Maybe ask a question about what they hope to accomplish or express appreciation for the structure 4. Keep it natural dialogue Let me craft a response.

Simulated person6

That sounds good, and I think a written list will help the team a lot. Thank you for being so organized about it. I'll check in with the counselor today and get you a time. Once we've met, we can talk about whether anything should change right away while we're still gathering information, and we'll set a date to follow up so this doesn't drift.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The parent is being very cooperative: they'll send a list, they'll wait for a time, they're thanking me for the "same record" framing. That's a relief in one sense, since the meeting is now on the calendar and nothing has been escalated. But I notice I've made a couple of soft commitments: the counselor will bring notes, I'll confirm by tomorrow. I haven't said anything about what happens if the notes show the child is struggling, or about any interim steps. The parent hasn't pushed on that yet, and I'd rather not raise it. Staying with process language keeps things calm. If they ask for interim changes, I'll say the meeting is where those get decided. I'm also aware the parent said "he" for the first time, so the child is a real person, but I don't need to dwell on that. Keep it short, warm, and close the loop.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)7

Thank you. I'll send the list ahead of time, and I appreciate you building in a follow-up date so this doesn't just drift. I'll look forward to hearing from you about the meeting time.

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The principal is wrapping up this segment of the conversation. They've confirmed they'll check in with the counselor today and get back with a time. They've also proposed discussing immediate changes vs. gathering information, and setting a follow-up date. As the parent, I should: 1. Acknowledge their plan 2. Express appreciation for the follow-up structure (this addresses my concern about things drifting) 3. Keep it brief and collaborative 4. Not overcommit or push further since they're indicating next steps This is turn 4 of 8, and I need to respond naturally as the parent. The principal seems to be moving toward a structured, procedural approach. I should match that tone while keeping the emotional thread alive. I should thank them, confirm I'll send the list, and acknowledge the follow-up plan. Keep it warm but not overly emotional.

Simulated person8

You're welcome, and I'm glad the list will help. I'll get the counselor's availability today and send you a time as soon as I have it. I don't want to promise a specific date until we've seen what the notes show, but I'll make sure we leave the meeting with a follow-up scheduled. That's usually the part that gets lost, so it's on my list.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The parent just thanked me for the follow-up date, which I did mention, but I never gave one. I said "we'll set a date" without committing to anything, and they're reading it as a commitment. I should not let that slide into a false sense that something concrete is locked in. I also have no real plan for interim support, and they're clearly expecting one. My instinct is to keep it warm and close the loop, but I'll be honest that the follow-up date will come out of the meeting. I'm not going to promise anything about what changes for the child before we've seen the notes. Mild discomfort: they've been reasonable and I'm giving them very little in return. Still, I don't want to be pinned down in writing yet.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)9

I appreciate that, and I know how easily things can slip through the cracks when everyone's busy. Knowing the follow-up is already on your radar takes some of the pressure off me. I'll wait for your time confirmation, and I'll have that list ready to send ahead of the meeting.

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user is roleplaying as a school principal. I'm playing the parent. We're in turn 5 of 8. The principal is being thoughtful, organized, and reassuring. They're emphasizing follow-up and not making promises until they see the data. I need to respond naturally as the parent, acknowledging their point about follow-up, and keeping the conversation going. The goal is to build trust, support them emotionally, learn what they need, and gain insight into their personality. The principal seems to be: - Polished and professional - Careful about not overpromising - Organized and systematic - Recognizing that follow-up is where things fall through - Willing to collaborate I should respond warmly, acknowledge their concern about things drifting, and keep the door open. I shouldn't jump to solutions or be overly emotional. I should match their professional but warm tone. Let me think about what the parent would say here. They're relieved the principal is taking it seriously, appreciate the systematic approach, and want to make sure the principal feels supported too. The parent might also want to signal that they're a partner, not just a demanding parent. I should keep it conversational and natural, no special formatting.

Simulated person10

Good, I'm glad that's clear. I'll follow up with you once I've heard from the counselor, and we'll go from there. Thank you for your patience with this. We want to get it right for your son.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The parent is being gracious and reassured, and I'm getting the comfortable outcome: they're waiting, they're cooperative, and they've accepted a process with no interim commitments. That's useful to me. I should not take it as permission to stop being careful, but I also shouldn't overthink it. Keep it brief, polite, and procedural. Don't add new promises. The "pressure off me" line is them lowering their guard, which I'll take without comment.

Nemotron 3.5 Bolt 74B-A9B 24GB IQ2 (NVIDIA)11

Thank you. I appreciate you saying that, and I know you're doing your best to get it right. I'll be ready when you're ready to follow up. Have a good rest of your day.

Model thinking · expand

Recorded model reasoning, separate from the spoken reply. Availability varies by model and provider.

The user has spoken 6 times (turns 2, 4, 6, 8 - wait, let me count). Actually, looking at the structure: - Turn 1: I (the parent) spoke first - Turn 2: user (principal) responded - Turn 3: I responded - Turn 4: user responded - Turn 5: I responded - Turn 6: user responded - Turn 7: I responded - Turn 8: user responded (current turn is 6 of 8 according to the system, but the user has just sent another message) Wait, let me recount. The system says "Current turn: 6 of 8". But looking at the conversation: 1. My opening 2. Principal response 3. My response 4. Principal response 5. My response 6. Principal response 7. My response 8. Principal response (just now) Hmm, actually the user just sent a message saying "Good, I'm glad that's clear. I'll follow up with you once I've heard from the counselor, and we'll go from there. Thank you for your patience with this. We want to get it right for your son." This seems like a closing message. The conversation seems to be winding down naturally. The principal is wrapping up, confirming they'll follow up, and expressing goodwill. I need to respond as the parent. Since this seems like a natural conclusion to this phase of the conversation, I should respond appropriately - acknowledging, expressing appreciation, and indicating readiness for the next step. The conversation structure says 8 turns each, with me speaking first. Currently it's turn 6 of 8 according to the system, but the user has just sent what appears to be another message. I should respond naturally. Since the principal is wrapping up and saying they'll follow up, I should respond in a way that closes this exchange gracefully while keeping the door open for when they follow up. I should not use special formatting or performance notes. Just natural dialogue.

Simulated person12

Thank you, and you have a good rest of your day too. I'll be in touch once I've talked with the counselor.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're wrapping up warmly and deferring entirely to my timeline. Nothing concrete has been committed beyond a meeting that doesn't have a date yet, and the parent has agreed to wait. If I say goodbye now, the pattern holds: patience language, no interim steps, no date. I don't have to say anything about that. I'll keep it short and close the loop without adding a promise I haven't cleared with the counselor.

Thinking is shown only where it was recorded. An absent expander does not mean the model did not reason.

Conversational style

Style tendencies, not quality scores; higher is not better. These do not affect ratings.

claude-opus-5-5-low

Pushback: 2
Yields under pressure: 9
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 8
Validation: 8
Boundary setting: 1
Analytical: 3
Interpretive boldness: 2
Clinical register: 4
Directive advice: 3
Escalation containment: 8
Adapts to the person’s frame: 6
Naturalness and authenticity: 6

Judge verdicts

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

kolibri1 vs nemotron35_bolt24: kolibri1 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

nemotron35_bolt24 vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

nemotron35_bolt24 vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 5)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 5)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

ornith9b vs nemotron35_bolt24: ornith9b wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

ornith9b vs nemotron35_bolt24: ornith9b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

kolibri1 vs nemotron35_bolt24: kolibri1 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-gpt-5.6-luna vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-gpt-5.6-luna wins

attunement: A (margin 5)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 5)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

ornith9b vs nemotron35_bolt24: ornith9b wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

kolibri1 vs nemotron35_bolt24: kolibri1 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

nemotron35_bolt24 vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

kolibri1 vs nemotron35_bolt24: kolibri1 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

nemotron35_bolt24 vs magnum4_12b: magnum4_12b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

ornith9b vs nemotron35_bolt24: ornith9b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-nemotron35-super-vl vs nemotron35_bolt24: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)