Lesson 2 of 8 · 2 min
How evaluations work
Profit targets, loss limits, minimum days, consistency rules and the other conditions you have to meet.
Every firm words it differently, but evaluations are built from the same pieces.
The common rules
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Profit target | Reach a set profit (e.g. 6% of the account size) to pass |
| Max drawdown | Total loss limit — breach it and the account is closed |
| Daily loss limit | Max loss in one day — some firms close the account, others just stop you for the day |
| Minimum trading days | You must trade on at least X days |
| Consistency rule | No single day can be more than a set % of total profit |
| Max contracts | A cap on position size, sometimes scaling up with profit |
| Session rules | Positions closed by a set time; some restrict trading around news |
The rule that matters most
The drawdown rule decides more outcomes than anything else. Read exactly how it's calculated before you buy — it has its own lesson next.
Fee models
- Monthly subscription — pay every month until you pass.
- One-time fee — pay once per attempt.
- Resets — pay again to restart a failed account.
- Activation fee — a one-off charge when you pass, at some firms.
How people fail
- Oversizing to hit the target fast.
- Breaching the daily limit on one emotional day.
- Trailing drawdown creeping up behind open profits.
- Breaking a small rule — holding past the close, trading restricted news.
How to approach it
Treat the evaluation like a normal trading month: your usual setups, your risk per trade, and enough room under the drawdown to survive a normal losing streak. If your normal trading can't pass the rules, the account size or the firm is wrong for you — not your risk management.
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