Failed a prop firm challenge? Do this, in order:
- Stop trading for the day and save the account report.
- Find the exact rule that ended it: maximum loss, daily loss limit, consistency, or a conduct rule.
- Fix that one cause on a simulator before you pay again.
- Then choose: reset (Topstep, MyFundedFutures, FTMO Futures), buy a new evaluation (current Apex evaluations have no resets), or reactivate a lost funded account (Topstep's Back2Funded).
You are not alone. In 2025 only 16.8% of Topstep Trading Combines were passed. Yet 51.8% of individual traders reached the funded level in at least one Combine. One attempt usually fails; many traders get there on a later one. (Topstep notes these figures do not predict future results.)
Reset or new evaluation: what each firm offers
What you can do after a failed evaluation depends on the firm. Here are the options for 50K accounts, checked on October 5, 2026:
| Firm (50K) | Your option | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep Combine | Reset now, or wait for the free Reset Credit at your next monthly rebill | $49 (Standard) or $95 (No Activation Fee) | Max 2 resets per account per day; a reset moves your rebill date 30 days out |
| Topstep funded (XFA), lost before first payout | Back2Funded: reactivate the same account, up to 2 times | $599 | Decide within 30 days; no new Combine needed |
| Apex EOD or Intraday | No resets: buy a new one-time evaluation | A new evaluation | Resets exist only on Apex's Legacy evaluations |
| MyFundedFutures | Reset the evaluation | The plan's list price (Builder 50K: $153) | A breached Rapid funded account ends; you start a new evaluation |
| FTMO Futures | Pay a reset, or keep the subscription and get a new account on your next billing date | $109 (Growth) or $129 (Pro) | Sim-Funded accounts can't be reset |
Sources: Topstep's reset rules, pricing and Back2Funded pages; Apex's evaluation fees and access; MyFundedFutures' resets and renewals article and plan data; FTMO's breach FAQ and comparison table.
How to decide
- Topstep: resetting now or waiting for the rebill's free Reset Credit costs about the same. The real question is whether you are ready to trade again. If you need a break, wait.
- Topstep funded account: Back2Funded ($599 on a 50K) skips the Combine but costs more than a month of Combine plus the $149 activation. Use it only if you know what broke the account and you have fixed it.
- Apex: there is no reset to weigh. Before you buy again, ask whether the 30-day window or the intraday trailing floor caused the failure. If so, change product rather than repeat it. Check the current Apex coupon codes first.
- MyFundedFutures: a reset costs the same as a new evaluation, so pick the plan that fits best. If Rapid's 50% consistency rule tripped you, Builder has none in the evaluation.
- FTMO Futures: if you won't trade again before your next billing date, skip the $109 reset; the subscription gives you a new account then.
Before you pay for another attempt anywhere, compare what a retry really costs: our cost-to-funded ranking adds evaluation, activation and reset fees together for each firm.
Step 1: Find the rule that ended it
Open the account report and answer four questions: which rule, on which day, on which trade, at what size. Then match it to this table:
| Rule broken | What it looks like | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum loss | Equity touched the floor, often mid-session | Size from the loss budget; know today's floor |
| Daily loss limit | Locked out or failed after one bad session | Your own daily stop, well inside the firm's |
| Consistency | Target reached but not passed, or target raised | Spread profit over more days |
| Time limit | Apex's 30-day access ran out | A plan with no time limit, or steadier trading |
| Conduct rule | Closed for news, hedging, automation or holding past the close | Reread the firm's prohibited list |
A trailing floor is the most common surprise. If you are not sure how yours moved, read end-of-day vs intraday drawdown before you try again. If a daily limit ended it, check whether your firm counted open losses; our daily loss limit guide shows how each firm calculates it.
Step 2: Find the mistake behind the rule
The rule is what ended the account. The mistake is why. These are the usual ones:
Mistake 1: Oversizing
Signs: one or two trades used up most of the loss budget.
Example: 5 ES contracts with a 10-point stop risk $2,500, because ES is $50 a point. That is more than the whole $2,000 maximum loss on a 50K account.
Fix: size from the loss budget
Risk about 10% of the maximum loss per trade: $200 on a 50K. With an 8-point stop that is 5 Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) contracts at $5 a point, not one ES. Our guide to passing a prop firm challenge walks through the math. On a trailing account, also check your distance to the floor before each trade, as in the pre-trade buffer check in how to avoid trailing drawdown violations.
Mistake 2: Revenge trading
Signs: size went up after a loss, trades came fast, setups were outside your plan.
Example: down $300, you double size to win it back, and the next stop costs $600.
Fix: hard stop rules
Never raise size during a session. After two losses in a row, stop for the day. Our futures trading psychology guide has more mechanical rules for tilt and FOMO.
Mistake 3: No daily stop
Signs: the damage came in one session and you kept trading after a big red morning. Topstep's daily loss limit is optional and Apex Intraday has none, so nothing forces you to stop.
Fix: your own daily stop
Pick a number, for example $400 on a 50K, and treat it as final. Stop when you hit it, even if the firm would let you continue.
Mistake 4: Trading into news
Signs: your biggest losses came around FOMC, CPI or the jobs report, when a stop can be skipped in seconds.
Fix: be flat before scheduled releases
Unless news is part of your tested plan, stand aside. Check your firm's rule too: MyFundedFutures bans Tier 1 news on Rapid and Pro funded accounts.
Mistake 5: Breaking the consistency rule
Signs: you reached the profit target but did not pass.
Example: Topstep's best day must stay at or below 55% of the target. A $2,000 day on a 50K Combine raises the target from $3,000 to about $3,636 ($2,000 ÷ 0.55).
Fix: cap your best day
Stop for the day before you cross the limit: under $1,650 on a Topstep 50K. The prop firm rule checklist lists the consistency cap for every major plan.
Mistake 6: Straying from your plan
Signs: setups you never tested, instruments you don't normally trade, trades taken out of boredom.
Fix: a written entry checklist
Before every trade: the setup matches your tested pattern, risk is inside your per-trade budget, no major release is due, and it is not a revenge trade. If any box is empty, skip the trade.
Step 3: Practise the exact rules before you pay again
Copy the firm's numbers onto a simulator: the same maximum loss, the same daily stop, the same target and the same consistency cap. Our rule of thumb: finish at least 10 sessions in a row inside every rule before you buy another attempt. Take a short break first, too: buying again the same day is how one bad session becomes two.
Step 4: Consider a firm whose rules fit you better
Sometimes the rules, not you, were the problem. Match the rule that ended your account to a firm that doesn't have it:
| If this ended it | Look for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| An intraday trailing floor caught a pullback | End-of-day drawdown | Topstep Combine, Apex EOD, MyFundedFutures Builder or Rapid EOD, FTMO Futures |
| The 30-day window ran out | No time limit | Topstep Combine, FTMO Futures |
| The consistency rule raised your target | No evaluation consistency rule | Apex, MyFundedFutures Builder |
| A hard daily loss limit failed you | A soft daily limit, or none | FTMO Futures Growth, Apex EOD, MyFundedFutures Builder, Topstep (optional limit) |
| Monthly fees piled up | One-time evaluation | Apex, MyFundedFutures |
For the full decision, from drawdown type to platform and payout rules, work through our prop firm selection guide. And if evaluations themselves keep tripping you, instant funding accounts skip the test, though they cost several times more and still apply consistency rules to payouts.
Fix the Cause Before You Pay Again
A retry only works if the cause is fixed. Our 2-hour-a-day futures strategy is built to stay inside prop firm rules: 291 days of verified results, a 94% success rate and 7+ traders getting their first payout every week. Join 1,000+ traders in the free Discord.
GET FUNDED NOWFrequently asked questions
What should I do after failing a prop firm challenge?
Stop trading for the day, find the exact rule that ended the account, and fix that cause on a simulator before you pay again. Then reset, buy a new evaluation, or switch to a firm whose rules fit your trading better.
Should I reset or buy a new evaluation?
Reset only after you have fixed what broke the account. At Topstep a reset costs the same as a month ($49 on the 50K Standard path). Apex's current evaluations have no resets, so you buy a new one. At MyFundedFutures a reset costs the same as the plan's list price.
How much does a prop firm reset cost?
At Topstep it is the monthly price: $49 for a 50K Standard Combine or $95 on the No Activation Fee path. FTMO Futures charges $109 for a 50K Growth reset and $129 for Pro. MyFundedFutures prices a reset at the plan's list price. Apex's current evaluations can't be reset.
How many traders fail prop firm challenges?
Most attempts fail. Topstep reports that only 16.8% of Trading Combines started in 2025 were passed, but 51.8% of individual traders reached the funded level in at least one Combine. Many traders pass on a later attempt.
Can I get a refund if I fail a prop firm challenge?
Usually not. Apex does not refund purchases in whole or in part. MyFundedFutures gives a full refund only if no trade was placed and you ask within 14 days. FTMO's refund of the fee with the first reward applies to its CFD Challenge, not to FTMO Futures.
Can I get a lost funded account back?
At Topstep, yes, if you lost the Express Funded Account before your first payout: Back2Funded reactivates it within 30 days for $599 on a 50K, up to 2 times. FTMO Futures Sim-Funded accounts can't be reset.