MCPAgentBench: A Real-world Task Benchmark for Evaluating LLM Agent MCP Tool Use
On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Tool learning and function calling
Abstract (arXiv)
Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly serving as autonomous agents, and their utilization of external tools via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is considered a future trend. Current MCP evaluation sets suffer from issues such as reliance on external MCP services and a lack of difficulty awareness. To address these limitations, we propose MCPAgentBench, a benchmark based on real-world MCP definitions designed to evaluate the tool-use capabilities of agents. We construct a dataset containing authentic tasks and simulated MCP tools. The evaluation employs a dynamic sandbox environment that presents agents with candidate tool lists containing distractors, thereby testing their tool selection and discrimination abilities. Furthermore, we introduce comprehensive metrics to measure both task completion rates and execution efficiency. Experiments conducted on state-of-the-art LLMs reveal significant performance differences in handling complex, multi-step tool invocations. All code is open-source at https://github.com/Brunestuder/MCPAgentBench.
Key facts. Cited by 9 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Tool learning and function calling, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 24 of its 41 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 31 Dec 2025.
Builds on
24 of 41 references.
Closest ancestors · 7
Same direction, newest first
- 2025MCP-Bench: Benchmarking Tool-Using LLM Agents with Complex Real-World Tasks via MCP Servers28 Aug
- 2025MCP-Universe: Benchmarking Large Language Models with Real-World Model Context Protocol Servers20 Aug
- 2025LiveMCPBench: Can Agents Navigate an Ocean of MCP Tools?3 Aug
- 2025MCP-RADAR: A Multi-Dimensional Benchmark for Evaluating Tool Use Capabilities in Large Language Models22 May
- 2025ScaleMCP: Dynamic and Auto-Synchronizing Model Context Protocol Tools for LLM Agents9 May
- 2023ToolLLM: Facilitating Large Language Models to Master 16000+ Real-world APIs31 Jul
- 2023API-Bank: A Comprehensive Benchmark for Tool-Augmented LLMs14 Apr
Other references · 17
- 2017Attention Is All You Needcited by 59,932
- 2020Language Models are Few-Shot Learnerscited by 32,199
- 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,355
- 2025Qwen3 Technical Reportcited by 8,195
- 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behaviorcited by 3,500
- 2023A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agentscited by 2,203
- 2023AutoGen: Enabling Next-Gen LLM Applications via Multi-Agent Conversationcited by 1,906
- 2023MetaGPT: Meta Programming for A Multi-Agent Collaborative Frameworkcited by 1,761
- 2023The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Surveycited by 1,422
- 2023GAIA: a benchmark for General AI Assistantscited by 1,084
- 2025DeepSeek-V3.2: Pushing the Frontier of Open Large Language Modelscited by 755
- 2025Kimi K2: Open Agentic Intelligencecited by 523
5 more
- 2019Towards Scalable Multi-domain Conversational Agents: The Schema-Guided Dialogue Datasetcited by 426
- 2025Model Context Protocol (MCP): Landscape, Security Threats, and Future Research Directionscited by 257
- 2025A survey of agent interoperability protocols: Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent Communication Protocol (ACP), Agent-to-Agent Protocol (A2A), and Agent Network Protocol (ANP)cited by 98
- 2025MCPWorld: A Unified Benchmarking Testbed for API, GUI, and Hybrid Computer Use Agentscited by 37
- 2025MCPToolBench++: A Large Scale AI Agent Model Context Protocol MCP Tool Use Benchmarkcited by 30
Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2026: 9.
9 papers.
- 2026Uncertainty Quantification in LLM Agents: Foundations, Emerging Challenges, and Opportunitiescited by 15
- 2026From Question Answering to Task Completion: A Survey on Agent System and Harness Designcited by 9
- 2026SING: Synthetic Intention Graph for Scalable Active Tool Discovery in LLM Agentscited by 4
- 2026Intent-Governed Tool Authorization for AI Agentscited by 3
- 2026The Convergence of Schema-Guided Dialogue Systems and the Model Context Protocolcited by 1
- 2026Diagnosing Tool-Selection Reasoning in LLM Agents with Canary Toolscited by 1
- 2026Formal Semantics for Agentic Tool Protocols: A Process Calculus Approachcited by 0
- 2026Hybrid Inspection and Task-Based Access Control in Zero-Trust Agentic AIcited by 0
- 2026CivBench: A Long-Horizon Benchmark for Tool-Mediated Agents in Civilization VIcited by 0
- 2026CivBench: A Long-Horizon Benchmark for Tool-Mediated Agents in Civilization VI2 Sep 2026
- 2026Diagnosing Tool-Selection Reasoning in LLM Agents with Canary Tools5 Aug 2026
- 2026Intent-Governed Tool Authorization for AI Agents22 Jun 2026
- 2026SING: Synthetic Intention Graph for Scalable Active Tool Discovery in LLM Agents15 Jun 2026
- 2026From Question Answering to Task Completion: A Survey on Agent System and Harness Design14 Jun 2026
- 2026Hybrid Inspection and Task-Based Access Control in Zero-Trust Agentic AI4 May 2026
- 2026Formal Semantics for Agentic Tool Protocols: A Process Calculus Approach25 Mar 2026
- 2026The Convergence of Schema-Guided Dialogue Systems and the Model Context Protocol21 Feb 2026
- 2026Uncertainty Quantification in LLM Agents: Foundations, Emerging Challenges, and Opportunities4 Feb 2026
Similar, not cited
Close in wording, no citation either way
- 2025MCP-AgentBench: Evaluating Real-World Language Agent Performance with MCP-Mediated Tools
- 2026MCP-Atlas: A Large-Scale Benchmark for Tool-Use Competency with Real MCP Servers
- 2025MCPVerse: An Expansive, Real-World Benchmark for Agentic Tool Use
- 2025MCP-Flow: Facilitating LLM Agents to Master Real-World, Diverse and Scaling MCP Tools
- 2025OSWorld-MCP: Benchmarking MCP Tool Invocation In Computer-Use Agents
- 2026DynamicMCPBench: A Trace-Grounded, Effect-Scored Benchmark for LLM Agents over Live MCP Servers
- 2026ToolMenuBench: Benchmarking Tool-Menu Filtering Strategies for Reliable and Efficient LLM Agents
- 2026MCPEvol-Bench: Benchmarking LLM Agent Performance Across Dynamic Evolutions of MCP Servers