I just got access to ChatGPT 5.2 Pro and am impressed with the results. I notice there is option for "Extended thinking" which I presume will give better results but it seems to take an extremely long time to return an answer to my questions. Is this expected and when should I use this option? Will it give significantly better results than the "Standard" setting for Pro?
#ChatGPT Pro Extended Thinking
velvet pewter
random brookBOT
Hi @velvet pewter. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:
You’re seeing expected behavior—longer response times are normal when you increase thinking time.
For GPT‑5.2 with Thinking, the “thinking‑time” toggle controls how long the model spends reasoning before it answers. On Pro, you have four options: Light, Standard, Extended, and Heavy. Extended and Heavy explicitly trade speed for deeper, more comprehensive reasoning. [Thinking toggle]
From OpenAI’s guidance:
- Light / Standard → quicker answers that still apply reasoning, balancing speed and intelligence.
- Extended / Heavy → more time for deeper, more comprehensive responses when the stakes are higher or the question is more difficult. [Thinking toggle]
So:
- Yes, Extended is expected to be slower.
- It’s best used when you care more about depth and reliability than speed—for example, complex coding, multi‑step analysis, or high‑stakes decisions.
- The docs say Extended/Heavy give “more time for deeper, more comprehensive responses,” but they do not quantify how much “better” than Standard; improvements will depend on the specific task. [Thinking toggle]