VERIFIEDOct 142026
Is Grok 4.20 0309 Reasoning state of the art?
No.Best recorded rank is #40 in Science.
As of Oct 14, 2026, Grok 4.20 0309 Reasoning from xAI. Best recorded rank is #40 in Science. Last listed at #40 in Science on 2026-02-17. That board does not award a crown.
Why
The ruling, in plain English
#40 on GPQA Diamond; missing Humanity's Last Exam and LMArena Text (style-controlled, hard prompts)
Receipts
Evidence
| Source | Score | Date | Type | Receipt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond grok-4.20-0309-reasoning | 0.8933080808080808 0.9–0.9 | 2026-02-17 | INDEP. | snap_fee7890b5dd0 |
| SimpleQA Verified grok-4.20-0309-reasoning | 0.302 0.3–0.3 | 2026-02-17 | INDEP. | snap_fee7890b5dd0 |
Reign history
Where it sits in the succession
No closed or open crown interval includes this model.
Honest about the gaps
Where it is not the crown
| Category | This model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | Not enough data | #40 on GPQA Diamond; missing Humanity's Last Exam and LMArena Text (style-controlled, hard prompts) |
| Science | #40 in this category | Last listed at #40 in Science on 2026-02-17. That board does not award a crown. |
| Factuality | Not enough data | #59 on SimpleQA Verified; missing LMArena Text factuality |