How to Pass TradeDay Evaluation: 10 Proven Strategies

You understand TradeDay's rules. You know you need $2,500 profit, 5 trading days, 30% consistency, and to stay within drawdown limits. But knowing the rules and actually passing are two different things.

Most traders fail their first evaluation not because they can't trade, but because they don't have a specific plan for navigating the evaluation constraints. They trade the same way they do in their personal account and get wrecked by the consistency rule or drawdown limits or the pressure of trying to hit a target.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

I failed three TradeDay evaluations before I figured out what actually works. My first attempt: blew through drawdown on Day 3 trying to force trades. Second attempt: hit $2,400 profit but violated consistency because I made $1,300 on Day 2 (54% of total). Third attempt: passed but only because I followed a structured plan instead of winging it.

These are the 10 strategies that actually work for passing TradeDay evaluations. Not generic "trade with discipline" advice — specific tactical approaches that account for evaluation constraints and give you the highest probability of success.

Strategy #1: Spread Profit Evenly to Avoid Consistency Violations

The 30% consistency rule kills more evaluations than anything else. You can't let any single day account for more than 30% of your total profit.

The Math That Matters

If you make $1,000 on Day 1, you now need at least $3,333 total profit to keep Day 1 under 30% ($1,000 ÷ $3,333 = 30%). That means you need an additional $2,333 profit beyond your original $2,500 target.

Better approach: Aim for roughly equal profits each day.

Example - $100K account needing $2,500 profit over 7 trading days:

• Target: ~$357 per day
• Result: Biggest day might be $500, smallest $200
• Biggest day percentage: $500 ÷ $2,500 = 20% (safe)

The Early Big Winner Problem

If you make $800+ in your first few days, you have two choices:

Choice A: Stop trading for a while, let other days dilute that big winner through smaller gains.

Choice B: Commit to making significantly more total profit (at least $2,667 total if you made $800 on one day).

What I do: If I have a $600+ day early in my evaluation, I take the next 1-2 days off completely. Then I resume trading with normal position sizing. This naturally distributes profits more evenly without forcing me to overtrade.

The Losing Day Trap

Losing days make consistency harder because they reduce your total profit denominator.

Example:

• Day 1: +$700
• Day 2: +$600
• Day 3: -$400 (losing day)
• Day 4: +$800
• Day 5: +$700
• Total: $2,400

Day 4 at $800 is now 33% of your $2,400 total. You failed consistency even though $800 seemed reasonable at the time.

Solution: Avoid big losing days. Use tight stop losses. Cut trades that aren't working. Don't let any single day go more than -$300 to -$500 on a $100K account.

For the complete technical breakdown of how consistency is calculated, see the consistency rule guide.

Strategy #2: Front-Load Your Trading Days Early

You need 5 trading days minimum. Don't wait until you're close to your profit target to start accumulating days.

Why Front-Loading Works

If you hit your profit target on Day 4, you need to trade at least one more day to satisfy the 5-day requirement. But taking another trade when you're already at target risks losing money and adding unnecessary stress.

Better approach: Get your 5 days done by the time you're at 60-70% of your profit target.

Example timeline:

• Days 1-5: Trade every day, accumulate 5 days, build profit to $1,500-1,800
• Days 6-10: Trade only when you have high-conviction setups, push toward $2,500

Now when you hit $2,500, you're done. No need to force a 5th day.

The Trading Day Definition

Remember: a day only counts if you open at least one position and hold it for a minimum time (appears to be 2-5 minutes based on trader reports). Opening and immediately closing doesn't count.

What counts:

• Trade 2 NQ, hold 8 minutes, close = counts as a trading day
• Trade 1 ES, hold 15 minutes, lose money = still counts

What doesn't count:

• Open and close within 30 seconds = probably doesn't count
• Only holding overnight positions from previous day = doesn't count

For complete details, see the trading day definition guide.

Strategy #3: Use Smaller Position Sizing Than Normal

The evaluation isn't about maximizing profit — it's about passing. Smaller size reduces risk and stress.

Size Down by 30-50%

If you normally trade 2 contracts in your personal account, trade 1 contract during evaluation. If you normally trade 1, use micros.

Why this works:

• Smaller losses when trades go against you (protects drawdown)
• Less emotional pressure per trade
• Easier to stay consistent with position sizing
• You can take more trades without risking blowing up

Example - $100K account:

• Normal trading: 2 ES contracts = $100/point = big swings
• Evaluation: 1 ES contract = $50/point = half the volatility
• Ultra-conservative: 5 MES (micros) = $25/point = lowest stress

You still hit $2,500 eventually, it just takes more trades. That's fine — you're not getting paid for speed, you're getting paid for passing.

Scale Up After Passing

Once you're funded, you can increase size back to normal. The evaluation is the bottleneck — get through it conservatively, then trade more aggressively when the consistency rule disappears.

Strategy #4: Trade Only Your A+ Setups During Evaluation

You don't need to trade every day. You don't need to take marginal setups. Wait for the best opportunities.

The A/B/C Setup Framework

Categorize your setups:

A+ setups: Your absolute highest-probability trades. Everything aligns. You'd trade these with full size in your personal account.

B setups: Good setups but missing one or two confirmation factors. You'd take these sometimes but not always.

C setups: Marginal setups. Low conviction. You usually skip these.

During evaluation, only trade A+ setups.

Example - My A+ Criteria for NQ

I only take evaluation trades when:

• Price is at significant support/resistance
• Order flow shows clear absorption or imbalance
• I'm trading with the trend (not fighting it)
• It's not within 30 minutes of major news
• My risk is under 18 points on NQ

If all five conditions aren't met, I skip the trade. This means some days I don't trade at all — that's fine. I'd rather hit 5 trading days over 3 weeks with high-quality trades than force 5 days in 5 calendar days with mediocre setups.

Permission to Skip Days

You don't need to trade daily. If the market looks choppy or you don't see your setup, close your platform and walk away.

Bad approach: "I need to trade today to build my day count" → forces low-quality trades → loses money

Good approach: "I'll trade when I see my setup, even if that's only 2-3 days this week" → only takes quality trades → higher win rate

Strategy #5: Set Intermediate Milestones, Not Just the Final Target

Breaking $2,500 into smaller chunks makes the evaluation feel less overwhelming.

The Milestone Framework

For a $100K account:

• Milestone 1: Hit $500 profit (20% of target)
• Milestone 2: Hit $1,000 profit (40% of target)
• Milestone 3: Hit $1,500 profit (60% of target)
• Milestone 4: Hit $2,000 profit (80% of target)
• Milestone 5: Hit $2,500+ profit (100% done)

Celebrate each milestone. After hitting Milestone 1, you've proven you can be profitable. Now just do it four more times.

The Psychological Benefit

When you're at $1,400 profit, "$2,500" sounds far away. But "I need $600 more to hit Milestone 3" sounds achievable. Same math, different framing, less mental pressure.

Take Breaks Between Milestones

After hitting a milestone, take 1-2 days off. Let your brain reset. Come back fresh for the next push.

My typical timeline:

• Week 1: Hit Milestone 1 and 2 ($500 and $1,000)
• Week 2: Hit Milestone 3 ($1,500)
• Week 3: Push to completion ($2,500+)

This pacing prevents burnout and overtrading.

Strategy #6: Track Drawdown Obsessively

Know your drawdown status after every single trade. Don't wait until you're in trouble to check.

Use the Dashboard After Every Session

Log into your TradeDay dashboard after each trading session:

• Check current drawdown
• See how much room you have left
• Verify your peak balance is tracking correctly

Example check:

• Peak balance: $101,800
• Current balance: $101,200
• Drawdown: $600 (from peak)
• Room remaining: $2,400 ($3,000 limit - $600 current)

Set Personal "Danger Zones"

Don't wait until you're at $2,900 drawdown to start worrying (on a $3,000 limit). Set earlier alerts.

My zones on a $100K account with $3,000 max drawdown:

• Green zone: $0-1,000 drawdown (totally safe)
• Yellow zone: $1,000-1,800 drawdown (be cautious, trade carefully)
• Red zone: $1,800-2,400 drawdown (stop trading, reassess)
• Critical zone: $2,400+ drawdown (emergency mode, tight stops only)

If I hit yellow zone, I reduce position size by 50%. If I hit red zone, I stop trading for 24-48 hours and reevaluate my approach.

Understand Your Drawdown Type

Your drawdown calculation depends on which type you chose:

EOD Trailing: Only measured at 4:10 PM CT. You can have huge unrealized swings during the day.

Intraday Trailing: Measured in real-time including unrealized losses. Much less forgiving.

Static: Fixed limits with a daily loss cap. One big losing day can end your evaluation.

For complete details on how each type works, see the maximum drawdown guide.

Strategy #7: Use Wider Stops Than Normal (With Smaller Size)

Tight stops get you stopped out frequently. Wider stops with smaller position size give you room to be wrong.

The Math Trade-Off

Approach A - Tight stops, normal size:

• Risk: $300 per trade (6 points on 2 ES)
• Win rate: 60% (tight stops = more stop-outs)
• Result: 10 trades = 6 winners × $400 = $2,400, 4 losers × $300 = -$1,200, net +$1,200

Approach B - Wider stops, smaller size:

• Risk: $300 per trade (12 points on 1 ES)
• Win rate: 70% (wider stops let trades work)
• Result: 10 trades = 7 winners × $400 = $2,800, 3 losers × $300 = -$900, net +$1,900

Same dollar risk per trade, but wider stops improve your win rate and net profit.

My Typical Stop Placement

On NQ with 1 contract:

• Tight stop: 15 points = $300 risk
• My evaluation stop: 24 points = $480 risk (but I'm trading micros so actually $120 risk)

I trade 4 MNQ instead of 1 full NQ, which gives me wider stops with the same dollar risk.

Why This Works for Evaluations

Evaluations stress traders out. Stressed traders close winners early and let losers run. Wider stops reduce the mental pressure of watching every tick.

Strategy #8: Close All Positions by 3:00 PM on Big Trading Days

Don't hold through the last hour of the session unless absolutely necessary. Close everything early to lock in profits and avoid surprises.

The Final Hour Risk

The last 30-60 minutes before market close (4:00-4:10 PM CT) can be volatile:

• Position squaring by institutional traders
• Thin liquidity causing weird moves
• News hitting right before close

If you're having a good day (+$400 or more), close your positions by 3:00 PM and walk away. Don't risk a good day turning into a loss during the close.

The Exception

If you're swing trading and planning to hold overnight, this doesn't apply. But for day traders, 3:00 PM close protects your gains.

Track What Time You Trade Best

Most traders have specific times when they perform best.

Common patterns:

• Morning traders: 9:30-11:30 AM ET (best for volatility and volume)
• Lunch traders: 12:00-2:00 PM ET (best for range-bound scalping)
• Afternoon traders: 2:00-3:30 PM ET (best for end-of-day momentum)

Figure out when you trade best and focus your evaluation trading during those hours. Don't force trading during times when you historically struggle.

Strategy #9: Avoid Tier 1 News Events Completely

Don't try to trade around news. Don't trade 5 minutes before or 5 minutes after. Just avoid major news days entirely.

The 2-Minute Rule

TradeDay prohibits trading within 2 minutes before or after Tier 1 news releases:

• Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
• FOMC Rate Decisions
• CPI/PPI releases
• Major unemployment data

The problem: Their system auto-liquidates positions if you're in a trade during the window. You might get a terrible fill, and your account gets flagged for review.

My Approach: Don't Trade News Days at All

Instead of trying to time around the 2-minute window, I skip entire days when Tier 1 news releases:

NFP Friday: Don't trade at all. Take the day off.

FOMC Wednesday: Don't trade. Find something else to do.

CPI Tuesday at 8:30 AM: Don't trade the morning session. Maybe trade afternoon if volatility settles.

This eliminates any risk of accidentally violating the news trading rule. You lose one potential trading day, but you protect your evaluation from an automatic violation.

Check the Calendar Every Morning

TradeDay's dashboard shows Tier 1 events. Check it every morning before you open your trading platform.

Set phone alarms for 10 minutes before major releases so you remember to close positions if you're somehow in a trade.

Strategy #10: Plan to Take 2-3 Weeks, Not 5 Days

Don't try to pass in the minimum 5 days. Give yourself 15-20 calendar days to complete 5 trading days and hit your profit target.

The Rushed Evaluation Problem

When you try to pass in 5-7 calendar days:

• You force trades on mediocre setups
• You trade every day whether conditions are good or not
• You overtrade trying to hit targets faster
• You make emotional decisions under time pressure

Result: Higher failure rate, more resets, more money spent.

The Relaxed Evaluation Approach

When you give yourself 3-4 weeks:

• You only trade when you see your best setups
• You can skip entire weeks if the market is choppy
• You avoid forcing trades out of impatience
• You make rational decisions without time pressure

Result: Higher pass rate, less stress, better trading.

Example Timeline - 3 Week Evaluation

Week 1:

• Trade 2 days (Monday and Thursday)
• Profit: +$600 total
• Status: 2/5 days done, 24% to target

Week 2:

• Trade 2 days (Tuesday and Friday)
• Profit: +$900 cumulative
• Status: 4/5 days done, 36% to target

Week 3:

• Trade 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
• Profit: +$2,700 cumulative
• Status: 5+ days done, 108% to target, PASS

Spreading it over 3 weeks reduces pressure and increases quality of trades.

Bonus Strategy: Keep a Trade Journal During Evaluation

Document every trade during your evaluation. This helps you learn from mistakes and repeat what works.

What to Track

Minimum info per trade:

• Date and time
• Instrument (ES, NQ, etc.)
• Entry price and exit price
• Position size
• P&L
• Setup type (breakout, pullback, order flow, etc.)
• Notes (what you saw, why you entered)

Review Weekly

Every weekend, review your journal:

• Which setups won most often?
• Which time of day performed best?
• What mistakes did you repeat?
• What's working that you should do more of?

Adjust your strategy based on actual data from your evaluation trading.

Post-Failure Analysis

If you fail an evaluation, your journal tells you exactly why:

• Blew drawdown? Which trades caused it?
• Consistency violation? Which day was too big?
• Overtrading? How many trades per day on average?

Use this data to fix the problem before your next attempt.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here's what kills evaluations:

Mistake #1: Trading with scared money

• You're so afraid of losing that you cut winners at +$50 and let losers run to -$400

Mistake #2: Revenge trading after a loss

• You take a -$300 loss and immediately enter another trade to "get it back"

Mistake #3: Changing strategy mid-evaluation

• Your original strategy stops working, so you try something completely different

Mistake #4: Not understanding your drawdown type

• You chose Intraday Trailing and didn't realize unrealized losses count immediately

Mistake #5: Ignoring consistency until it's too late

• You make $1,400 on Day 2 and realize on Day 8 you failed consistency

Mistake #6: Trading while tilted

• You have a bad trade and you're emotionally compromised but you keep trading anyway

All of these are avoidable with the strategies above: proper planning, smaller size, only A+ setups, obsessive tracking, and realistic timelines.

Quick Reference: The 10 Strategies

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the average pass rate for TradeDay evaluations?

TradeDay doesn't publish official pass rates, but industry estimates for prop firms are 10-20%. Most traders fail their first attempt. That's normal — factor it into your budget and expectations.

How long does the average evaluation take?

Most successful traders complete evaluations in 2-4 weeks (10-20 calendar days). Trying to pass in 5-7 days usually results in failure from overtrading or forced setups.

Should I practice these strategies in sim first?

Absolutely. Trade sim for 2-4 weeks using smaller size, only A+ setups, and tracking consistency. Prove the approach works before spending money on a TradeDay subscription.

What if I fail my first evaluation?

Pay the reset fee ($75-189 depending on account size and drawdown type) and try again. Review your trade journal to identify what went wrong. Most traders pass on attempt 2 or 3 after learning from mistakes.

Can I switch strategies mid-evaluation if mine isn't working?

Not recommended. If your strategy stops working after 2 days, it's probably just bad market conditions, not a broken strategy. Switching mid-evaluation usually makes things worse. Stick with what you know.

Is it better to pass quickly or take my time?

Take your time. Traders who pass in 14-21 days have higher success rates than those rushing to pass in 5-7 days. The subscription cost difference (1-2 extra weeks) is worth the higher probability of passing.

Bottom Line: Plan, Execute, Pass

Passing TradeDay evaluations isn't about being the best trader in the world. It's about having a specific plan for navigating the evaluation constraints, executing that plan consistently, and avoiding the common mistakes that kill most attempts.

Use these 10 strategies, give yourself 3 weeks, trade conservatively, and track everything obsessively. You'll pass.

For complete details on TradeDay's rules, account options, platforms, and payouts, check the full TradeDay review.

Now stop reading and start trading.

Your Next Steps

‍👉 Start Trading at TradeDay Today

‍👉 Read My Full TradeDay Review

‍👉 Check out TradeDay´s Payout Rules

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