Prop Firm Consistency Rule & Minimum Trading Days Explained | Pass Every Time
Two hidden prop firm requirements kill more evaluation attempts than daily loss limits: the 30% consistency rule (your largest winning day can't exceed 30% of total profits) and minimum trading days requirements (4-10 days minimum).
You can hit your profit target and stay within drawdown limits, but still fail if you violate these rules. In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down both requirements with real examples, show you exactly how they're calculated, and give you proven strategies to pass every time.
What is the Prop Firm Consistency Rule?
The consistency rule (most commonly set at 30%) requires that no single trading day can account for more than 30% of your total net profits.
Why it exists: Prop firms want traders who demonstrate consistent profitability, not lucky one-hit wonders who hit profit targets from a single fortunate trade.
The 30% Consistency Rule Formula
To Pass: Consistency Percentage ≤ 30%
Real Example: Passing the Consistency Rule
✅ PASS Example
Scenario: $10,000 profit target prop firm evaluation
Your Trading Results:
- Day 1: +$800
- Day 2: +$1,200
- Day 3: -$400
- Day 4: +$2,500 (largest winning day)
- Day 5: +$900
- Day 6: +$1,800
- Day 7: +$600
- Day 8: +$1,400
- Day 9: +$300
- Day 10: +$900
- Total Net Profit: $10,000
Consistency Calculation:
❌ FAIL Example
Scenario: Same $10,000 profit target
Your Trading Results:
- Day 1: +$400
- Day 2: -$200
- Day 3: +$7,500 (huge winning day - got lucky on NFP)
- Day 4: +$600
- Day 5: +$1,700
- Total Net Profit: $10,000
Consistency Calculation:
Result: Even though you hit the $10,000 profit target and stayed within drawdown limits, you FAIL the evaluation due to consistency rule violation.
Which Prop Firms Enforce the Consistency Rule?
Not all firms enforce the consistency rule the same way. Here's the breakdown:
| Prop Firm | Consistency Rule | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | Tracks consistency score | ✓ Informational only - doesn't affect pass/fail |
| Top One Trader | 30% maximum | ✓ Enforced for payouts - must comply to withdraw |
| FundedNext | No consistency rule | ✓ Not enforced |
| TopStep | Varies by account type | Check specific account |
| Apex | No formal consistency rule | ✓ Not enforced (but extreme outliers may be reviewed) |
| My Funded Futures | No consistency rule | ✓ Not enforced |
💡 Important Note
Even at firms without formal consistency rules, having 80-90% of your profits from a single day may trigger manual review for suspicious activity. Aim for balanced profit distribution across multiple days regardless of firm policy.
What Are Minimum Trading Days Requirements?
Minimum trading days requirements mandate that you must be active for a specified number of days during your evaluation period.
Why it exists: Firms want to see that your strategy works consistently over time, not just in one market condition or lucky session.
Minimum Trading Days by Prop Firm (2025)
| Prop Firm | Phase 1 (Challenge) | Phase 2 (Verification) | Funded Account |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO | 4 days minimum | 10 days minimum | No minimum (but must trade to keep account active) |
| TopStep | 5 days minimum (Step 1) | 2 days minimum (Step 2) | No minimum |
| Apex Trader Funding | 7 days minimum | N/A (one-step evaluation) | No minimum |
| My Funded Futures | Varies (typically 5-10 days) | Varies by account type | No minimum |
| FundedNext | 5 days (two-step), 1 day (express) | 5 days (two-step) | No minimum |
What Counts as a "Trading Day"?
This is where traders often get confused. Here's what counts and what doesn't:
✅ Counts as a Trading Day
- You opened at least one position (buy or sell)
- The position can be closed on the same day (intraday) or held overnight
- You can open multiple positions - still counts as ONE trading day
- Profitable, break-even, or losing days all count equally
❌ Does NOT Count as a Trading Day
- Days when you only monitored the market but didn't enter any trades
- Days when you only closed a position held from a previous day (no new entries)
- Weekends and market holidays (even if you tried to trade)
- Days when you placed orders but they didn't execute
Strategies to Pass the Consistency Rule
Strategy #1: The "Balanced Distribution" Approach
Target: Spread profits evenly across 10+ trading days
How it works:
- Calculate your daily profit target: Total target ÷ Number of planned trading days
- Example: $10,000 target ÷ 15 days = $667/day average
- Aim for $500-$1,000 per day, never exceeding $2,000 (20% of total)
- Once you hit $1,500-2,000 for the day, STOP TRADING
Benefits:
- Automatically keeps you under 30% consistency rule
- Reduces risk of blowing account on one bad day
- Demonstrates discipline to prop firms
- Builds repeatable trading habits
Best for: Consistent day traders with reliable edge
Strategy #2: The "Safety Buffer" Method
Target: Never let one day exceed 25% of total profits
How it works:
- Calculate your maximum single-day profit: Total target × 0.25
- Example: $10,000 × 0.25 = $2,500 max per day
- Set a hard stop at this level - close platform when reached
- This gives you a 5% buffer below the 30% rule
Live Example:
Trader needs $10,000 profit:
- Day 1-3: Earns $5,000 ($2,500 limit not hit)
- Day 4: Hits $2,500 profit by 11 AM → stops trading immediately
- Day 5-10: Continues trading, eventually reaches $10,000 total
- Consistency check: $2,500 / $10,000 = 25% → PASS ✅
Best for: Traders who occasionally have very profitable days
Strategy #3: The "Overcollection" Approach
Target: Earn 130-150% of profit target to dilute large winning days
How it works:
- If you have a large winning day early (say $4,000 on a $10,000 target), don't panic
- Continue trading to earn additional profit beyond the target
- Extra profits dilute the percentage of your largest day
Real Calculation:
Important: Only use this if you have time left in evaluation period and are confident in continued profitability.
Best for: Traders who had one exceptional day early in evaluation
Strategy #4: Position Sizing Control
Target: Limit maximum profit per trade to prevent huge single-day wins
How it works:
- Calculate maximum profit per trade: (Total Target × 0.30) ÷ 5
- Example: ($10,000 × 0.30) ÷ 5 = $600 max profit per trade
- Adjust position size to cap profit potential at this level
- Take partial profits as trade moves in your favor
Example with ES Futures:
- Target max profit per trade: $600
- Trading ES at $50/point
- Max position size: 2 contracts ($600 ÷ $50 = 12 points × 2 contracts = reasonable target)
- Set profit target at 6 points for 2 contracts = $600
- This prevents any single trade from dominating your P&L
Best for: Swing traders and those holding positions overnight
Strategies to Meet Minimum Trading Days
Strategy #1: The "Calendar Planning" Method
Plan your trading calendar before starting evaluation
How it works:
- Check Requirements: Know exactly how many days you need (e.g., 10 days for FTMO Phase 2)
- Check Evaluation Length: Know your time limit (e.g., 60 calendar days)
- Calculate Trading Schedule: 60 days with 10 required = trade at least every 6th day
- Plan Buffer: Add 3-5 extra planned trading days for flexibility
- Mark Your Calendar: Specific days you WILL trade, no matter what
Example FTMO Phase 2 Calendar (60 days, need 10 trading days):
- Week 1: Trade Mon, Wed, Fri (3 days)
- Week 2: Trade Tue, Thu (2 days) - Total: 5 days
- Week 3: Trade Mon, Thu (2 days) - Total: 7 days
- Week 4: Trade Tue, Fri (2 days) - Total: 9 days
- Week 5: Trade Wed (1 day) - Total: 10 days → REQUIREMENT MET ✅
- Weeks 6-8: Trade only on high-probability setups (buffer time)
Best for: Part-time traders with limited availability
Strategy #2: The "Small Position" Technique
Trade micro positions on required days when you don't have strong conviction
How it works:
- On days when market conditions are poor but you need a trading day: Open a very small position (1 MES micro contract instead of 3 ES contracts)
- Set tight profit target (3-5 ticks) and tight stop loss (3-5 ticks)
- Goal is to complete the trading day with minimal risk, not make significant profit
- Accept small wins or small losses just to check the box
Example:
- You need 10 trading days, you've completed 7
- It's Friday, terrible volume, choppy market
- Instead of sitting out: Trade 1 MES with 4-tick profit target ($20) and 4-tick stop ($20)
- Result: +$20 profit or -$20 loss, but you got your 8th trading day ✅
- Total risk: $20 vs. skipping the day and potentially running out of time
Best for: Traders approaching end of evaluation period who need to hit minimum days
Strategy #3: The "Scale Down" Approach
Reduce position size proportionally as you approach profit target
How it works:
- Early in evaluation (0-40% of target): Trade normal size
- Middle evaluation (40-70% of target): Reduce size by 30-50%
- Near target (70-90% of target): Reduce size by 50-70%
- Final stretch (90%+ of target): Trade minimum size just to meet trading day requirements
Example on $10,000 Target:
- Days 1-5 ($0 → $4,000): Trade 3 ES contracts per trade
- Days 6-8 ($4,000 → $7,000): Reduce to 2 ES contracts
- Days 9-10 ($7,000 → $9,000): Reduce to 1 ES contract
- Days 11-12 ($9,000 → $10,200): Trade MES (micro) just to meet minimum days
Benefits:
- Protects your profit as you get closer to target
- Ensures you have enough trading days without excessive risk
- Prevents consistency rule violations from late big wins
Best for: Risk-conscious traders who want to protect gains
Common Mistakes That Violate Consistency and Minimum Days Rules
Mistake #1: "One Good Day" Syndrome
❌ The Problem
Scenario: Trader hits perfect setup on Day 2, makes $8,000 on a $10,000 target. Gets excited, continues trading for 3 more days to hit target, ends at $10,500.
Result: $8,000 / $10,500 = 76% consistency → FAIL
Why it happens: Trader focuses only on profit target, forgets about consistency rule
✅ The Solution
Corrected Approach: After the $8,000 day, recognize the consistency risk. Continue trading to earn $5,000-6,000 MORE profit across 8-10 additional days. Final result: $15,000 total, $8,000 largest day = 53% → Still FAIL. Need to earn $18,500+ total to get $8,000 below 30%.
Better Solution: If you realize consistency violation is impossible to fix, some firms allow you to request a reset. Alternatively, on the big day, intentionally stop at $2,500-3,000 profit to avoid the issue entirely.
Mistake #2: Bunching All Trades in First Week
❌ The Problem
Scenario: Trader has great first week, trades Monday-Friday aggressively, hits $10,000 target by Friday. Stops trading.
Result: Only 5 trading days, but FTMO requires 10 → FAIL
Why it happens: Excitement about profits makes trader forget about minimum days requirement
✅ The Solution
Continue trading with micro positions for 5 more days. Risk $20-50 per day just to check the minimum days box. Even if you lose a bit, you'll still be well above the profit target.
Example: After hitting $10,000 in 5 days, trade MES for next 5 days with $50 risk per day. Worst case: lose $250, end at $9,750 profit (still passing), with 10 trading days met ✅
Mistake #3: Ignoring Evaluation Time Limits
❌ The Problem
Scenario: Trader takes "perfect setups only" approach. Waits for ideal conditions. Trades sporadically: Day 1, Day 8, Day 15, Day 23. Evaluation expires after 30 days with only 4 trading days completed.
Result: Out of time before hitting minimum days → FAIL
✅ The Solution
Calculate your "pace": Required days ÷ Remaining calendar days. Example: 10 required days, 30 calendar days = trade at least every 3 days. Set phone reminders for maximum gap days. If you haven't traded in 2 days, you MUST trade the next day even with small position.
Advanced: Combining Consistency Rule and Minimum Days Strategy
The ultimate strategy combines both requirements into one coherent plan:
The "Perfect Evaluation" Blueprint
Phase 1: Planning (Day 0)
- Note profit target: e.g., $10,000
- Note minimum days: e.g., 10 days
- Note evaluation length: e.g., 60 calendar days
- Calculate max per day: $10,000 × 0.30 = $3,000 absolute maximum
- Calculate safe per day: $10,000 × 0.25 = $2,500 safe limit
- Calculate average needed: $10,000 ÷ 15 days (buffer) = $667/day
Phase 2: Execution (Days 1-15)
- Target: $600-1,000 profit per day
- Hard Stop: $2,500 profit in a single day → immediately stop trading
- Trading Frequency: 3-4 days per week minimum
- Monitor Progress: Check consistency after each day:
- If largest day > 28% of total: slow down on that day's trading
- If largest day < 20% of total: you have room for bigger days
Phase 3: Final Stretch (Days 16-20)
- You've reached $9,500 profit after 12 trading days
- Consistency check: Largest day was $2,200 (23% of $9,500) ✅
- Minimum days: 12 of 10 required ✅
- Trade conservatively for final $500 to reach $10,000
- Use 1-2 micro contracts just to cross finish line safely
Result:
- ✅ Profit target: $10,000+ achieved
- ✅ Consistency: 23% (under 30%)
- ✅ Minimum days: 13 days (over 10 required)
- ✅ Drawdown: Controlled throughout
- ✅ PASS EVALUATION
Tools to Track Consistency and Trading Days
Manual Tracking Spreadsheet
Create a simple Google Sheet or Excel file with these columns:
| Date | Daily P&L | Running Total | Largest Day So Far | Consistency % | Trading Days Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/15/2025 | +$850 | $850 | $850 | 100% | 1 |
| 1/16/2025 | +$1,200 | $2,050 | $1,200 | 58.5% | 2 |
| 1/17/2025 | +$750 | $2,800 | $1,200 | 42.9% | 3 |
| 1/18/2025 | -$300 | $2,500 | $1,200 | 48.0% | 4 |
Formula for Consistency %: =MAX(Daily P&L Range) / Running Total * 100
💡 Pro Tip: Color Coding
- Green: Consistency % under 25%
- Yellow: Consistency % 25-30%
- Red: Consistency % over 30% (take action!)
Frequently Asked Questions
The consistency rule (typically 30%) requires that no single trading day can account for more than 30% of your total profits.
Example: If you need $10,000 profit to pass, your largest winning day cannot exceed $3,000.
Formula: (Largest Winning Day / Total Profits) × 100 ≤ 30%
This rule prevents traders from passing evaluations based on one lucky trade and ensures consistent profitability over time.
Note: Not all firms enforce this - FTMO tracks it for information only, but firms like Top One Trader enforce it for payouts.
Minimum trading days requirements vary by firm:
- FTMO: 4 days minimum in Challenge (Phase 1), 10 days in Verification (Phase 2)
- TopStep: 5 days minimum in Step 1, 2 days in Step 2
- Apex Trader Funding: 7 days minimum during evaluation
- My Funded Futures: Varies by account type, typically 5-10 days
Important: A "trading day" only counts if you open at least one position. Days where you monitor but don't trade do NOT count. You must spread trades over multiple days - you can't complete a 30-day evaluation in 5 calendar days even if profitable.
Step-by-step calculation:
- Find your largest winning day profit
- Calculate total net profit across all trading days
- Divide: (Largest Day / Total Profit) × 100
- Compare to the firm's limit (usually 30%)
Example:
- Total profit: $12,000
- Largest winning day: $3,200
- Calculation: ($3,200 / $12,000) × 100 = 26.67%
- Result: PASS ✅ (under 30%)
If you get 31%+, you'll need to earn more profit on other days to bring the percentage down. The more trading days with consistent profits, the easier it is to stay under 30%.
Technically yes, but it's risky and NOT recommended.
If your largest winning day is too high (>30%), you have two options:
- Option 1 (RECOMMENDED): Earn more profit on other days to increase total profit, which reduces the percentage
- Option 2 (RISKY): Take small controlled losses to increase the denominator slightly
Warning: Most firms monitor for suspicious trading patterns like deliberate losses, and this could be flagged as forbidden trading practice.
Better strategy: Focus on earning consistent profits across remaining trading days. If you had a $4,000 day and need $10,000 total (40% violation), aim to earn additional $3,000-4,000 spread across multiple days. This brings you to $13,000-14,000 total, making $4,000 = 28.5-31% of total.
Firms with more lenient requirements:
No Consistency Rule:
- FTMO (tracks it but doesn't enforce)
- FundedNext (no consistency requirement)
- Instant funding firms (many don't enforce consistency)
No/Low Minimum Trading Days:
- Some instant funding firms have no minimum days
- Some one-step challenges have reduced requirements (2-3 days)
- Express accounts often have lower minimums (2 days vs 5-10 days)
Important: "No consistency rule" firms may still flag extreme outliers (like 90% of profit from one day) as potential rule violations or "forbidden trading practices." Always verify current rules on the firm's official website, as policies change frequently.
🚀 Ready to Pass Your Prop Firm Evaluation?
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