{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4407759838","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3651579","title":"On the Limits of LLM Reasoning: Evidence From Contamination, Translation, and Answer Modification in Multiple-Choice Benchmarks","display_name":"On the Limits of LLM Reasoning: Evidence From Contamination, Translation, and Answer Modification in Multiple-Choice Benchmarks","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4407759838","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3651579"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3651579","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3651579","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["arxiv","crossref","datacite","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3651579","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5077697330","display_name":"Eva S\u00e1nchez Salido","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I178450904","display_name":"Universidad Nacional de Educaci\u00f3n a Distancia","ror":"https://ror.org/02msb5n36","country_code":"ES","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"]}],"countries":["ES"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Eva S\u00e1nchez Salido","raw_affiliation_strings":["Research Group in NLP & IR, National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8665-3018","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Research Group in NLP & IR, National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5111768991","display_name":"Julio A. Gonzalo","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I178450904","display_name":"Universidad Nacional de Educaci\u00f3n a Distancia","ror":"https://ror.org/02msb5n36","country_code":"ES","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"]}],"countries":["ES"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Julio Gonzalo","raw_affiliation_strings":["Research Group in NLP & IR, National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5341-9337","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Research Group in NLP & IR, National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5018641291","display_name":"Guillermo Marco","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I178450904","display_name":"Universidad Nacional de Educaci\u00f3n a Distancia","ror":"https://ror.org/02msb5n36","country_code":"ES","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"]}],"countries":["ES"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Guillermo Marco","raw_affiliation_strings":["Research Group in NLP & IR, National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2455-6655","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Research Group in NLP & IR, National Distance Education University, Madrid, Spain","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I178450904"],"apc_list":{"value":1850,"currency":"USD","value_usd":1850},"apc_paid":{"value":1850,"currency":"USD","value_usd":1850},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.00220467,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"14","issue":null,"first_page":"9384","last_page":"9393"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10703","display_name":"Business Process Modeling and Analysis","score":0.8361999988555908,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1404","display_name":"Management Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10703","display_name":"Business Process Modeling and Analysis","score":0.8361999988555908,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1404","display_name":"Management Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/memorization","display_name":"Memorization","score":0.8580113649368286},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.46112722158432007},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/multiple-choice","display_name":"Multiple choice","score":0.4135668873786926},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/psychology","display_name":"Psychology","score":0.36870867013931274},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/management-science","display_name":"Management science","score":0.32962560653686523},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematics-education","display_name":"Mathematics education","score":0.29726970195770264},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematics","display_name":"Mathematics","score":0.25335773825645447},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/statistics","display_name":"Statistics","score":0.10677871108055115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/engineering","display_name":"Engineering","score":0.09675359725952148}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C30038468","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4354775","display_name":"Memorization","level":2,"score":0.8580113649368286},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.46112722158432007},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C176730311","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q867668","display_name":"Multiple choice","level":3,"score":0.4135668873786926},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.36870867013931274},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C539667460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2414942","display_name":"Management science","level":1,"score":0.32962560653686523},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145420912","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q853077","display_name":"Mathematics education","level":1,"score":0.29726970195770264},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.25335773825645447},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105795698","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12483","display_name":"Statistics","level":1,"score":0.10677871108055115},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.09675359725952148},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3018023364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q425265","display_name":"Significant difference","level":2,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":3,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3651579","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3651579","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2502.12896","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2502.12896","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2502.12896","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2502.12896","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2502.12896","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/access.2026.3651579","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2026.3651579","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2485537415","display_name":"IEEE Access","issn_l":"2169-3536","issn":["2169-3536"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Access","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G4583790776","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"C039-21OT","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320323261","funder_display_name":"Universidad Nacional de Educaci\u00f3n a Distancia"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G8893600357","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"C039-21OT","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F7311471023","funder_display_name":"NextGenerationEU"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320300","display_name":"European Commission","ror":"https://ror.org/00k4n6c32"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320323261","display_name":"Universidad Nacional de Educaci\u00f3n a Distancia","ror":"https://ror.org/02msb5n36"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F7311471023","display_name":"NextGenerationEU","ror":null}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":25,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W3171654528","https://openalex.org/W3016970897","https://openalex.org/W4403122979","https://openalex.org/W4389518953","https://openalex.org/W4409131149","https://openalex.org/W4387782510","https://openalex.org/W4389523725","https://openalex.org/W4396762144","https://openalex.org/W4385571689","https://openalex.org/W4412889529","https://openalex.org/W4294214983","https://openalex.org/W4402670101","https://openalex.org/W4385573636","https://openalex.org/W4385572001","https://openalex.org/W2996556191","https://openalex.org/W4226040778","https://openalex.org/W4404781632","https://openalex.org/W4412886673","https://openalex.org/W4412944731","https://openalex.org/W4406892414","https://openalex.org/W4412887729","https://openalex.org/W4412886797","https://openalex.org/W4402671287","https://openalex.org/W4412581454","https://openalex.org/W4400681340"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W4391375266","https://openalex.org/W2899084033","https://openalex.org/W2748952813","https://openalex.org/W3093895509","https://openalex.org/W3163481960","https://openalex.org/W2323394100","https://openalex.org/W280704926","https://openalex.org/W2476068070","https://openalex.org/W4323971310","https://openalex.org/W2893372175"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Multiple-choice":[0],"benchmarks":[1],"are":[2,31,114],"widely":[3],"used":[4],"to":[5,35,64,144,149,182],"assess":[6],"LLMs,":[7],"yet":[8],"their":[9],"accuracy":[10,109,179,188],"scores":[11],"often":[12],"conflate":[13],"memorization\u2014understood":[14],"as":[15,204],"pattern-based":[16],"recall\u2014with":[17],"genuine":[18],"reasoning,":[19],"that":[20,75,158],"is,":[21],"inference":[22,101,172],"beyond":[23],"surface":[24],"pattern":[25],"transfer,":[26],"especially":[27],"when":[28,171],"test":[29],"sets":[30],"public":[32,49,122],"and":[33,70,90,106,131,136,141,165,177],"prone":[34],"contamination.":[36],"To":[37],"disentangle":[38],"these":[39],"effects,":[40],"we":[41],"evaluate":[42],"models":[43,212],"under":[44,111,217],"three":[45],"experimental":[46],"conditions:":[47],"(i)":[48],"(MMLU)":[50],"vs.":[51,57,127],"private":[52],"(UNED-Access)":[53],"data;":[54],"(ii)":[55],"original":[56],"professionally":[58],"translated":[59],"questions":[60],"(English/Spanish;":[61],"less":[62],"likely":[63],"appear":[65,143],"verbatim":[66],"in":[67,185],"training":[68,198],"data);":[69],"(iii)":[71],"an":[72],"answer":[73,112],"modification":[74,113],"replaces":[76],"the":[77,83,87,121,150,153,205,218],"correct":[78],"option":[79],"with":[80,117,210],"\u2018\u2018None":[81,151],"of":[82,152,194,208],"other":[84,154],"answers\u2019\u2019\u2014which":[85],"becomes":[86,189],"right":[88],"choice":[89],"dissociates":[91],"success":[92],"from":[93],"previously":[94],"seen":[95],"tokens":[96],"or":[97],"concepts,":[98],"requiring":[99],"implicit":[100],"steps.":[102],"Across":[103],"16":[104],"proprietary":[105],"open-weights":[107],"models,":[108],"drops":[110],"substantial":[115],"(10%\u201393%),":[116],"larger":[118],"declines":[119],"on":[120,125,129],"dataset":[123],"(56%":[124],"MMLU":[126],"51%":[128],"UNED-Access)":[130],"minimal":[132],"differences":[133],"between":[134],"originals":[135],"translations.":[137],"Taken":[138],"together,":[139],"contamination":[140],"translation":[142],"be":[145],"second-order":[146],"factors":[147],"compared":[148],"answers\u2019\u2019":[155],"condition,":[156],"suggesting":[157],"current":[159],"LLMs":[160],"generalize":[161],"well":[162],"across":[163],"datasets":[164],"languages":[166],"but":[167],"show":[168],"marked":[169],"limitations":[170],"is":[173],"required.":[174],"Model":[175],"size":[176],"baseline":[178],"prove":[180],"insufficient":[181],"predict":[183],"robustness\u2014although":[184],"low-contamination":[186],"settings,":[187],"a":[190],"more":[191],"reliable":[192],"indicator":[193],"inference-based":[195],"behavior.":[196],"Instead,":[197],"strategies":[199],"explicitly":[200],"targeting":[201],"reasoning":[202],"emerge":[203],"primary":[206],"drivers":[207],"robustness,":[209],"reasoning-oriented":[211],"consistently":[213],"showing":[214],"greater":[215],"stability":[216],"NOTO":[219],"substitution.":[220]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00"}