Tool Verification for Test-Time Reinforcement Learning

arXiv:2603.02203v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Test-time reinforcement learning (TTRL) has emerged as a promising paradigm for Recursive Self-Improving AI (RSI) by adapting Large Reasoning Models (LRMs) on unlabeled test inputs, using self-consensus rewards derived from majority voting over sampled rollouts. However, majority voting can mistake popularity for correctness: a spurious yet high-frequency unverified consensus may become a biased reward signal, causing test-time RL to reinforce frequent but wrong answers and collapse into an incorrect mode. We address this false-popular failure mode with T$^3$RL (Tool-Verification for Test-Time Reinforcement Learning), a verification-aware test-time RL framework. T$^3$RL grounds pseudo-label construction in external tool evidence. Concretely, a verifier utilizes external tool evidence (e.g., from code execution) to upweight verified rollouts during a verification-aware voting, producing more reliable pseudo-labels for training. Across various math difficulties (MATH-500, AMC, and AIME 2024) and diverse backbone families, T$^3$RL significantly improves over TTRL, with better performance on harder problems. T$^3$RL is positioned as a verified online data synthesizer, highlighting the role of tool verification in reliable online adaptation. T$^3$RL is extensible to verifiable domains and provides training and inference efficiency.

Abstract:Test-time reinforcement learning (TTRL) has emerged as a promising paradigm for Recursive Self-Improving AI (RSI) by adapting Large Reasoning Models (LRMs) on unlabeled test inputs, using self-consensus rewards derived from majority voting over sampled rollouts. However, majority voting can mistake popularity for correctness: a spurious yet high-frequency unverified consensus may become a biased reward signal, causing test-time RL to reinforce frequent but wrong answers and collapse into an incorrect mode. We address this false-popular failure mode with T$^3$RL (Tool-Verification for Test-Time Reinforcement Learning), a verification-aware test-time RL framework. T$^3$RL grounds pseudo-label construction in external tool evidence. Concretely, a verifier utilizes external tool evidence (e.g., from code execution) to upweight verified rollouts during a verification-aware voting, producing more reliable pseudo-labels for training. Across various math difficulties (MATH-500, AMC, and AIME 2024) and diverse backbone families, T$^3$RL significantly improves over TTRL, with better performance on harder problems. T$^3$RL is positioned as a verified online data synthesizer, highlighting the role of tool verification in reliable online adaptation. T$^3$RL is extensible to verifiable domains and provides training and inference efficiency.

Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI); Computation and Language (cs.CL)

arXiv:2603.02203 [cs.AI]

(or arXiv:2603.02203v2 [cs.AI] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2603.02203 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

analiza aiqbench

Tool Verification for Test-Time Reinforcement Learning

Subiecte conexe