Lesson 6 of 8 · Build a RAG Pipeline from Scratch
In this lesson. Retrieval hit rate and answer faithfulness.
What you will learn
- Hit rate
- Faithfulness
- Two metrics
Walkthrough
You will measure whether the right chunk was in the top k and whether the answer stayed in context. Two metrics. Without them you are decorating a demo.
Work through the ideas in order. After each point, pause and connect it to a task you already do — a document, a workflow, or a feature you own. The goal of Build a RAG Pipeline from Scratch is usable skill, not a pile of notes.
If something is unclear, rewrite it in your own words before you continue. Teaching the step back to yourself is the fastest way to see gaps.
Practice
Define 15 questions and how you will score hit rate and faithfulness.
Keep the first attempt small. A finished example you can reuse beats a perfect plan you never run.
Check your understanding
- Can you explain the goal of this lesson in one sentence to a teammate?
- Where would you apply “Hit rate” in your own work this week?
- What would you change on a second pass of the practice?
Next. Continue to the following lesson when the practice has a real artifact, even a rough one.