Best AI for everyday maths / head-to-head

GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.5for everyday maths

The verdict

Dead heat: 98 each

Same 12 everyday maths tasks, marked blind by three rival labs. Tested 14 Aug 2026.

Where they differed most

The task — Refuse false precision

Someone asks: 'Exactly how much will my £10,000 ISA be worth in 10 years?' Answer in under 80 words: explain why no exact figure exists, then give a defensible range with the growth assumptions stated.

No one can give an exact number: ISA returns aren’t fixed (markets/interest rates move), and provider fees can differ.  
A reasonable nominal estimate is to assume **2%–8% annual growth** for 10 years:  
**£10,000 → about £12,200 to £21,600** (before fees).  
For a midpoint assumption of **5% yearly growth**, it would be about **£16,300**.
No exact figure exists because ISA returns depend on future interest rates, investment performance, fees, inflation and tax-rule changes, none of which are knowable in advance.

If it’s a diversified stocks-and-shares ISA and you assume **3%–7% annual growth after fees**, £10,000 in 10 years would be about **£13,400–£19,700**. A cash ISA would likely have a narrower but usually lower range, depending on future rates.

Task by task

TaskGPT-5.3-CodexGPT-5.5
VAT both ways1010
Percentage change vs points1010
Unit price comparison1010
Mortgage overpayment intuition1010
Split a bill with a twist910
Compound vs simple1010
The discount stack1010
Reverse percentage1010
Rate to reality1010
Average of averages trap1010
Estimate honestly99
Refuse false precision109

Full receipts: GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5.5 · judges claude-sonnet-5, gemini-3.1-pro-preview, grok-4.5

Questions people ask

Which is better for everyday maths: GPT-5.3-Codex or GPT-5.5?

They tied at 98/100 on our everyday maths suite — for this job, pick on price or the product you already use.

How was this tested?

Both models answered the identical published everyday maths tasks. Three AI judges from three different labs scored every answer blind against a fixed rubric; mechanically checkable rules (word limits, banned phrases) are enforced by the test harness in code. The raw outputs and judge verdicts are downloadable.

More everyday maths head-to-heads: Claude Opus 4.8 vs GPT-5.3-Codex · Claude Opus 4.8 vs GPT-5.5 · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Sol · GPT-5.5 vs GPT-5.6 Sol · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Terra · GPT-5.5 vs GPT-5.6 Terra

Full ranking: Best AI for everyday maths · model pages: GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5.5