TakeProfitTrader Test Rules Overview 2026

TakeProfitTrader's Test account is a single-step evaluation where you prove you can trade profitably without breaking a handful of strict rules. There's no Phase 1, Phase 2 nonsense—pass this one Test, and you're funded. But here's the part that trips up most traders: the 50% consistency rule. You can hit your $3,000 profit target in two massive trading days, but if one of those days accounts for more than 50% of your profits, you're stuck trading longer until your consistency evens out.

This guide covers every Test account rule at TakeProfitTrader, how each one works in practice, what violates you instantly versus what just slows you down, and the strategies that help you pass faster without burning resets.

Learned the hard way: I've breached a TakeProfitTrader PRO account because I didn't adjust for the intraday trailing drawdown switch from Test. The rule breakdowns here come from real trading experience—including my mistakes and what actually causes account terminations.

The single biggest trap at TakeProfitTrader is the drawdown change between tiers—EOD trailing in Test, intraday trailing in PRO, back to EOD in PRO+. I broke down every rule with real examples and compliance strategies in my complete TakeProfitTrader rules guide, including the consistency rule, position limits, and news trading restrictions. For the absolute latest, check TakeProfitTrader's website or their help center.

What Is the Test Account?

The Test account is TakeProfitTrader's evaluation phase. You select an account size ($25K to $150K), pay a monthly subscription fee, and trade to prove you can hit a 6% profit target while following risk management rules. Pass the Test, and you unlock a PRO account where you trade for real payouts.

Test account structure:

• Single-step evaluation (not multi-phase)
• 6% profit target (same across all account sizes)
• No time limit (but you pay monthly, so speed matters)
• Monthly subscription (cancels automatically when you pass)
• Unlimited resets ($100 fee per reset)
• EOD trailing drawdown (end-of-day calculation, not intraday)
• No daily loss limit (removed January 2025)

Once you pass, you pay a one-time $130 activation fee and move to PRO. Your monthly subscription stops automatically.

The 8 Core Test Account Rules

Rule 1: Hit Your 6% Profit Target

Every account size has a 6% profit target. Hit this number, satisfy the other rules, and you're eligible to pass.

Profit targets by account size:

• $25K account = $1,500 profit
• $50K account = $3,000 profit
• $75K account = $4,500 profit
• $100K account = $6,000 profit
• $150K account = $9,000 profit

Important details:

• No time limit: You can take as long as you need to hit the target. Some traders pass in 5 days, others take 3 months.
• But you're paying monthly: Every 30 days, your subscription renews. If you take 3 months to pass a $50K account ($170/month), you've spent $510 total before even activating PRO.
• Faster is cheaper: The quicker you pass, the less you pay in subscription fees.

Example: You buy a $50K Test account for $170/month. You pass in 12 days. You've only paid one month ($170) plus the $130 PRO activation fee = $300 total to get funded.

Rule 2: Don't Exceed Maximum Position Size

Each account has a hard limit on how many contracts you can hold at once. Exceed this by even one contract, and your account is terminated immediately—no warning, no second chance.

Position size limits:

How violations happen:

• You're trading 6 contracts on a $50K account and accidentally enter a 7th
• You're scaling into a position and lose count
• You fat-finger an order and double your position by mistake

The fix: Set hard position limits in your trading platform. Most platforms (NinjaTrader, Tradovate, etc.) let you configure max position size warnings or blocks. Use them.

Platform tip: In Tradovate, go to Settings > Risk Management > Max Position Quantity. Set this to your account's contract limit so the platform physically blocks orders that would exceed it.

Rule 3: Don't Hit EOD Maximum Trailing Drawdown

This is the rule that kills most Test accounts. Your account has a 4% maximum drawdown that trails your highest end-of-day balance.

How it works:

Your account starts with a minimum balance calculated as:

Starting balance - Maximum drawdown = Minimum account balance

Example: $50K Test Account

• Starting balance: $50,000
• Maximum drawdown: $2,000 (4%)
• Minimum account balance: $48,000

If your account balance drops to $48,000 or below at end of day, you've violated the drawdown rule and your account is terminated.

The trailing part:

As you make profit, your minimum account balance trails upward based on your highest end-of-day balance. It moves every day you close with more profit than your previous high.

Trailing example:

• Day 1: You close at $50,800 (+$800)
• New minimum: $48,800 ($50,800 - $2,000)
• Day 2: You close at $51,200 (+$1,200 total)
• New minimum: $49,200 ($51,200 - $2,000)
• Day 3: You close at $50,900 (-$300 from peak)
• Minimum stays at $49,200 (trailing only moves up, never down)

When trailing stops:

Once your minimum account balance reaches your starting balance ($50,000 in this example), it stops trailing. Even if you make $10,000 profit, your minimum will never go below $50,000. This gives you permanent protection once you build enough profit.

Key distinction: EOD vs Intraday

Test accounts use end-of-day trailing, which means the drawdown is only calculated when the market closes at 4 PM CT. You can be down $1,800 intraday, rally back to -$400 by close, and you're fine.

This is way more forgiving than PRO accounts, which use intraday trailing that moves with unrealized P&L in real-time.

Example of EOD forgiveness:

• You start the day at $50,000
• At 10 AM, you're down to $48,200 (below your $48,000 minimum)
• But you trade back to $49,500 by 4 PM close
• You're safe—drawdown only calculated at end of day

Violation: If you close the day at $47,900 or lower, you've violated and your Test account is terminated.

Rule 4: Trade Approved Products During Approved Hours

You can only trade specific futures products during specific hours.

Approved products:

• CME Group: ES, NQ, YM (equity index futures)
• CBOT: ZB, ZN, ZF, ZT (treasury futures)
• NYMEX: CL, NG (energy futures)
• COMEX: GC, SI (metals futures)

Full list available on TakeProfitTrader's website.

Trading hours:

Futures markets are open 23 hours per day, 5 days per week:

• Open: Sunday 6 PM ET
• Close: Friday 5 PM ET
• Daily break: 5 PM - 6 PM ET (1 hour maintenance window)

No holding overnight or weekend positions:

You must close all positions before 5 PM ET each day. If you hold a position past 5 PM ET or over the weekend, your account is terminated immediately.

Why this rule exists: TakeProfitTrader doesn't want traders exposed to overnight gaps or weekend news risk in simulated accounts.

Example violation: You're long 2 ES contracts at 4:58 PM ET and forget to close. Market closes at 5 PM with your position still open. Your account is instantly terminated.

The fix: Set an alarm for 4:45 PM ET every trading day. Flatten all positions by 4:50 PM at the latest.

Rule 5: Be Consistent (The 50% Rule)

No single trading day can account for more than 50% of your total profits. This rule prevents "lottery ticket" trading where you hit your profit target in one or two massive days.

How it works:

If your highest profit day represents more than 50% of your total net profit, you haven't satisfied the consistency rule yet. You must continue trading until your consistency drops below 50%.

Example: $50K Account

• Profit target: $3,000
• Day 1: +$2,000
• Day 2: +$800
• Total profit: $2,800

Consistency calculation: $2,000 / $2,800 = 71.4%

Your best day is 71.4% of total profits. You've hit your profit target ($2,800 > $3,000 after commission adjustments), but you're not eligible to pass because your consistency exceeds 50%.

Solution: Keep trading until your total profit reaches at least $4,000. At that point, your $2,000 day becomes 50% or less.

Updated calculation: $2,000 / $4,000 = 50%

Now you're eligible to pass.

Why this rule exists: TakeProfitTrader wants to fund traders who can perform consistently, not traders who get lucky with one huge trade and then struggle to repeat it.

Your dashboard shows this: In your Test account dashboard, you'll see "Highest Profit Day" and "Consistency Percentage." Watch this number—if it's above 50%, you're not passing yet.

Strategy tip: Avoid taking massive position sizes early in your Test. Spread your profits across multiple days to naturally satisfy the consistency rule without having to trade extra days.

Rule 6: Minimum 5 Trading Days

You must have at least 5 separate trading days before you're eligible to pass the Test, even if you hit your profit target faster.

What counts as a trading day:

A day where you executed at least one complete round-trip trade (entry + exit) on any approved futures product.

Example:

• Day 1: Trade ES, make $800
• Day 2: Trade NQ, make $600
• Day 3: Trade ES, make $1,200
• Day 4: Trade CL, make $400
• Day 5: Trade ES, make $200
• Total profit: $3,200 (passed target)

Even though you hit your $3,000 target on Day 3, you must trade at least 2 more days before you're eligible to pass.

Why this rule exists: Forces traders to demonstrate performance across multiple sessions, not just one or two lucky days.

Strategy: If you hit your target early, use your remaining days to practice risk management with smaller positions. Don't try to maximize profit—just satisfy the 5-day requirement without violating rules.

Rule 7: Trade At Least Once Per Week

You must execute at least one trade per calendar week (Sunday - Saturday) to keep your Test account active.

What counts:

Any round-trip trade (entry + exit) held for at least 1 minute.

What happens if you miss a week:

Your account may be flagged for inactivity and closed. TakeProfitTrader reserves the right to terminate inactive accounts.

Example violation: You trade Monday through Thursday, then don't trade again for 8 days. Your account gets flagged.

The fix: Even if you're not actively working on your Test, place at least one trade per week to keep the account alive. A single scalp trade satisfies this requirement.

Exception: Contact support if you need a temporary break for legitimate reasons (medical, travel, etc.). They may grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Rule 8: No Automated Trading (EAs or Bots)

All trades must be manually executed. Expert Advisors (EAs), trading bots, and automated systems are strictly prohibited.

What's prohibited:

• Expert Advisors on MT4/MT5
• Auto-trading scripts
• Copy trading from third-party signal providers
• Any system that executes orders without manual trader input

What's allowed:

• Trade alerts or signals that you manually execute
• Order management tools (auto-stop-loss placement, trailing stops)
• Copy trading your own trades across multiple accounts (manual entry on each)

Why this rule exists: TakeProfitTrader's sim environment isn't designed to handle high-frequency automated strategies. They want discretionary traders, not algo traders exploiting sim fills.

Penalty: Using EAs or bots results in immediate account termination with no refund.

Additional Test Account Details

No Daily Loss Limit

As of January 2025, TakeProfitTrader removed all daily loss limits from Test accounts. You can lose as much as you want in a single day, as long as you close above your minimum account balance by end of day.

This is a massive advantage over firms like Apex, TopStep, or Earn2Trade, which have hard daily stops that freeze your account until the next trading day.

Example: You're down $1,600 at 11 AM. Most firms would lock you out. At TakeProfitTrader, you can keep trading and recover before 4 PM close.

50 Executions Per Day Limit

You're limited to 50 total executions (fills) per day. One round-trip trade = 2 executions (entry + exit).

Practical limit: 25 round-trip trades per day.

This shouldn't impact most traders unless you're a high-frequency scalper. If you're taking 30+ trades per day, TakeProfitTrader probably isn't the right firm for you.

News Trading Allowed in Test

Unlike PRO accounts, Test accounts have no news trading restrictions. You can trade during FOMC, NFP, or any other high-impact news event.

This changes once you move to PRO, where FOMC and NFP are strictly off-limits.

CME Price Limits Apply

Futures markets have daily price limit rules (limit up/limit down). If the market approaches a price limit and you haven't exited, TakeProfitTrader must hedge against your position. If a price limit is actually hit while you're still holding, your Test account is terminated.

Check CME's website for current daily price limits on your traded products.

Test Account Pricing & Resets

Reset policy: If you violate a rule, you can reset your Test account for $100. Resets are unlimited—you can reset as many times as needed.

What resets: Your account balance returns to starting balance, all profit/loss erases, trading days reset to zero.

What doesn't reset: Your subscription renewal date stays the same. If you reset 10 days into your billing cycle, you still have 20 days left before your next charge.

Common Test Account Mistakes

Mistake 1: Hitting profit target in 2 days, failing consistency

You make $2,500 on Day 1 and $500 on Day 2, hitting your $3,000 target. But your first day is 83% of your profits. You're stuck trading longer to satisfy the 50% rule.

The fix: Spread profits across multiple days. Don't swing for the fences on Day 1.

Mistake 2: Not watching EOD drawdown as profits grow

You're up $1,200 total, feeling good. But you don't realize your minimum balance has trailed up to $49,200. You take a bad trade and close at $49,100. Violation.

The fix: Check your "Minimum Account Balance" in your dashboard daily. Always know where your floor is.

Mistake 3: Forgetting to close positions before 5 PM ET

You're up $400 on an ES trade at 4:55 PM and want to squeeze out another $100. Market closes, your position is still open, your account is terminated.

The fix: Set a 4:45 PM alarm. Flatten everything by 4:50 PM, no exceptions.

Mistake 4: Exceeding position size by accident

You're scaling into a position, lose count, and enter your 7th contract on a $50K account. Instant violation.

The fix: Configure max position warnings in your trading platform. Don't rely on your memory.

Mistake 5: Not trading for 8+ days

You have a busy week and forget to place even one trade. Your account gets flagged for inactivity.

The fix:

Frequently Asked Questions About TakeProfitTrader Test Rules

What is the TakeProfitTrader evaluation (Test) structure?

The TakeProfitTrader Test is a one-phase evaluation requiring traders to hit a profit target while staying within EOD trailing drawdown and daily loss limit thresholds. There's no minimum day requirement and no fixed time limit — the Test stays open until you pass or breach. The same news buffer and 5 PM ET close rules that apply on funded accounts are enforced during the evaluation.

What is the TakeProfitTrader evaluation profit target?

TakeProfitTrader's standard evaluation profit target is 6% of the account size — $3,000 on a $50K account, $9,000 on a $150K account. The target must be reached while respecting all trading rules: staying within trailing drawdown, daily loss limit, news buffer, and 5 PM ET close. There's no minimum trading day requirement, so a single strong session can close the evaluation.

What drawdown rules apply during the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

The TakeProfitTrader evaluation uses the same EOD trailing drawdown as the funded account. The drawdown floor adjusts at session close — intraday peaks don't move it. Breaching the max loss threshold during the evaluation terminates the Test and requires purchasing a reset or a new evaluation to continue.

Does the TakeProfitTrader evaluation have a daily loss limit?

Yes — the daily loss limit active on funded accounts applies equally during the evaluation phase. Hitting the DLL ends trading for that session and locks you out until the next day — it doesn't terminate the evaluation. Breaching the Max Loss Limit (the trailing drawdown floor) is what terminates the Test.

Does the news buffer apply during the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

Yes — TakeProfitTrader's 1–2 minute no-entry buffer around high-impact economic releases is enforced during the evaluation phase. New position entries are blocked in the window surrounding NFP, FOMC, CPI, PPI, and GDP. Existing positions can be held or closed through the window. There's no grace period during the evaluation.

Does the 5 PM ET close rule apply during the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

Yes — all positions must close by 5 PM ET during the evaluation, just as on funded accounts. The rule is not relaxed for the test phase. Evaluation traders who hold positions past 5 PM ET risk violation consequences. This enforces intraday discipline as a requirement for passing, not just a funded account constraint.

Is there a minimum trading day requirement on the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

No — TakeProfitTrader's evaluation has no minimum trading day requirement. You can hit the profit target in a single session and pass immediately. This is more flexible than Topstep's 10-day minimum but matches the structure at Alpha Futures and MyFundedFutures. Passing quickly with a clean, compliant trading record is valid.

How long does the TakeProfitTrader evaluation last?

There's no fixed time limit on the TakeProfitTrader evaluation. The Test stays open indefinitely until you either pass (hit the profit target within rules) or breach the drawdown floor. Monthly subscription fees continue to accrue while the evaluation is active. Inactive accounts may be subject to expiration — verify current inactivity policies.

What happens after passing the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

After passing the Test, TakeProfitTrader issues funded account credentials following KYC identity verification. The funded account activates with the same rules as the evaluation — no rule-set reset or relaxation. Payout eligibility begins after meeting the minimum funded trading day requirement specified in the account agreement.

How much does the TakeProfitTrader evaluation cost?

TakeProfitTrader uses a monthly subscription evaluation model. Pricing varies by account size and changes with promotional periods — check the current TPT website for live pricing. There's no activation fee at funded conversion, unlike Alpha Futures Standard/Advanced which charges $149 at funded launch.

What happens if I breach the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

Breaching the max loss floor during the evaluation terminates the Test immediately. You can purchase an evaluation reset to restart with a fresh account at the same size. Resets are typically available at a discounted rate versus a full new evaluation purchase. All profits accumulated in the breached evaluation are forfeited.

How does TakeProfitTrader's evaluation compare to Alpha Futures?

Both are one-phase, no-minimum-day evaluations. Alpha Standard/Zero targets 6% (matching TPT); Advanced targets 8%. Alpha has a 2-minute news buffer (matching TPT's range); TPT has a 5 PM ET close that Alpha doesn't. Alpha charges a $149 activation fee at funded launch; TPT doesn't. Alpha adds Advanced as a no-DLL, no-news-buffer, no-consistency funded option with no TPT equivalent.

Can I trade during major economic releases in the TakeProfitTrader evaluation?

You can hold existing positions through high-impact releases, but new entries are blocked during the 1–2 minute buffer window around designated events. Pre-positioning before the buffer window (entering 5–10 minutes ahead) is permitted. Entering exactly at the release window is the prohibited action — not trading the event theme entirely.

How does TakeProfitTrader's evaluation compare to Topstep?

Topstep requires 10 profitable trading days minimum before passing; TPT has no day minimum. Topstep is typically more expensive on a monthly basis. Both use EOD trailing drawdown and DLL. Topstep allows overnight weekday holds; TPT requires close by 5 PM ET daily. Topstep has broader platform support (Sierra Chart, ATAS); TPT supports NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Quantower, and R|Trader Pro.

Is the TakeProfitTrader evaluation worth it?

TPT's evaluation is worth it for intraday traders whose strategy already closes before 5 PM ET and avoids news-window entries — the evaluation enforces exactly the same rules, so passing is a clean validation of existing habits. For traders who need to modify their strategy to comply with TPT's rules, the evaluation cost and required habit changes make Tradeify or Lucid a lower-friction starting point.

Bottom Line

TakeProfitTrader's Test rules are straightforward but strict. The 50% consistency rule and EOD trailing drawdown cause the most failures—traders either hit their target too fast and get stuck trading longer, or they don't track their trailing minimum and violate after building profit. The lack of a daily loss limit is a massive advantage, giving you room to recover from bad mornings without getting locked out. Pass the Test in under 30 days and you're looking at one monthly fee plus $130 activation to get funded—one of the faster, cheaper paths in prop trading.