# Qiskit QuantumKatas: Adapting Microsoft's Quantum Computing exercises for LLM evaluation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.27210 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.27210/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 26 of its 52 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 26 May 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 26 of 26)

- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Evaluating Large Language Models Trained on Code](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.03374/) (2021)
- [Measuring Mathematical Problem Solving With the MATH Dataset](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.03874/) (2021)
- [Program Synthesis with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.07732/) (2021)
- [SWE-bench: Can Language Models Resolve Real-World GitHub Issues?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.06770/) (2023)
- [GPQA: A Graduate-Level Google-Proof Q&A Benchmark](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.12022/) (2023)
- [gpt-oss-120b & gpt-oss-20b Model Card](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.10925/) (2025)
- [DS-1000: A Natural and Reliable Benchmark for Data Science Code Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.11501/) (2022)
- [SciCode: A Research Coding Benchmark Curated by Scientists](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.13168/) (2024)
- [Qiskit HumanEval: An Evaluation Benchmark For Quantum Code Generative Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.14712/) (2024)
- [CURIE: Evaluating LLMs On Multitask Scientific Long Context Understanding and Reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.13517/) (2025)
- [Qiskit Code Assistant: Training LLMs for generating Quantum Computing Code](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.19495/) (2024)
- [QCircuitBench: A Large-Scale Dataset for Benchmarking Quantum Algorithm Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.07961/) (2024)
- [QuanBench: Benchmarking Quantum Code Generation with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.16779/) (2025)
- [QUASAR: Quantum Assembly Code Generation Using Tool-Augmented LLMs via Agentic RL](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.00967/) (2025)
- [QCalEval: Benchmarking Vision-Language Models for Quantum Calibration Plot Understanding](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.25884/) (2026)
- [QHackBench: Benchmarking Large Language Models for Quantum Code Generation Using PennyLane Hackathon Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.20008/) (2025)
- [QCoder Benchmark: Bridging Language Generation and Quantum Hardware through Simulator-Based Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.26101/) (2025)
- [PennyCoder: Efficient Domain-Specific LLMs for PennyLane-Based Quantum Code Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.19562/) (2025)
- [Quantum Verifiable Rewards for Post-Training Qiskit Code Assistant](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.20907/) (2025)
- [Quantum-Audit: Evaluating the Reasoning Limits of LLMs on Quantum Computing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.10092/) (2026)
- [QuantumBench: A Benchmark for Quantum Problem Solving](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.00092/) (2025)
- [M2QCode: A Model-Driven Framework for Generating Multi-Platform Quantum Programs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.17110/) (2025)
- [QuanBench+: A Unified Multi-Framework Benchmark for LLM-Based Quantum Code Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.08570/) (2026)
- [QuantumChem-200K: A Large-Scale Open Organic Molecular Dataset for Quantum-Chemistry Property Screening and Language Model Benchmarking](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.21747/) (2025)
- [QuantumQA: Enhancing Scientific Reasoning via Physics-Consistent Dataset and Verification-Aware Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.18176/) (2026)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [QEncodeBench: Can Large Language Models Encode Classical Problems into Verified Quantum Oracles?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.20319/) (2026)
- [QC-Stark: A Multi-Task Benchmark Revealing Capability Dissociations in LLMs Evaluated on Quantum Computing Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.35581/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We adapt Microsoft's QuantumKatas -- a well-established quantum computing curriculum -- from Q# to Qiskit, the most widely-adopted quantum computing framework, and package it with an evaluation framework for systematic LLM assessment. The resulting benchmark comprises 350 tasks across 26 categories, spanning fundamental gates through advanced algorithms (Grover's, Simon's, Deutsch-Jozsa), error correction, key distribution, and quantum games. Each task includes a natural language prompt, canonical solution, and deterministic test verification via classical circuit simulation. By building on the QuantumKatas' proven pedagogical design rather than creating tasks from scratch, we inherit a principled difficulty progression and comprehensive concept coverage while contributing the framework adaptation, evaluation infrastructure, and empirical analysis. We evaluate 16 LLMs across 7 prompting configurations -- a total of 39,200 model runs -- to demonstrate the benchmark's utility. Three key findings emerge: (1) the benchmark effectively differentiates model capabilities, with best-configuration pass rates ranging from 32.3% to 83.1% and a 26.1 pp average gap between frontier and open-source models; (2) models perform well at implementing known algorithms (SimonsAlgorithm 82.1%, BasicGates 81.6%) but struggle with problem encoding (SolveSATWithGrover 34.4%, DistinguishUnitaries 40.0%); and (3) chain-of-thought prompting shows a modestly bimodal effect -- it is the best strategy for three models (two of them explicitly reasoning-tuned per vendor documentation) but degrades performance for the rest, leaving it mid-pack in aggregate (56.3% mean) behind few-shot-5 (57.8%). We release the benchmark, evaluation framework, and baseline results to support research on LLM capabilities in quantum computing.