7 free guides
Prop firm & funded account guides
Evaluations aren't won by trading better. They're won by sizing so the drawdown rule can never reach you before your edge plays out. These guides cover the mechanics that decide the outcome — the rules, the arithmetic and the handful of habits that fail almost every account.
No firm promotions. We don't name, rank, review or link to any proprietary trading firm, and we have no affiliate relationships in the industry. Everything here is generic mechanics you can apply to any rulebook.
Understand the rules
Before strategy, before setups: what the drawdown and daily limits actually measure, and how the same percentage can mean three different things.
Prop Firm Drawdown Rules Explained: Static, Trailing and Intraday
The same 6% drawdown can mean three completely different things. Here's how each type is calculated and which one quietly kills accounts.
5 min readThe Daily Loss Limit Is What Actually Fails Your Account
Max drawdown gets the attention. The daily limit does the damage — because it's the rule that punishes tilt rather than strategy.
5 min readProp Firm Payout Rules Explained: Splits, Cycles and Consistency
Passing is the easy half. Getting paid depends on payout cycles, consistency rules and conditions most traders only read after they qualify.
5 min readPassing the evaluation
Sizing derived from the drawdown allowance, a loss budget for each session, and the arithmetic that tells you whether the target is reachable at all.
How to Pass a Prop Firm Challenge (Without Gambling)
Evaluations are not won by trading better. They're won by sizing so the drawdown rule can never reach you before your edge plays out.
6 min readProp Firm Position Sizing: The Only Maths That Matters
Your risk per trade isn't a preference under an evaluation — it's derived from the drawdown rule and the losing streak you have to survive.
5 min readWhy Most Traders Fail Prop Firm Challenges (9 Repeating Causes)
Almost none of it is bad analysis. It's sizing, recovery trading and rules that were never read properly in the first place.
4 min readIs it worth it?
Evaluation fees, retry costs and realistic pass rates weighed against simply trading your own capital. We don't sell challenges, so here's the unvarnished version.
Free tools for evaluation maths
Turn the rulebook into dollars, then check whether your sizing survives an ordinary losing streak.
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Frequently asked questions
- Do you recommend a specific prop firm?
- No. We don't name, rank, review or link to any proprietary trading firm, and we have no affiliate relationships in the industry. Every guide here covers generic mechanics that apply across programmes, so you can evaluate any rulebook yourself.
- What risk per trade should I use in an evaluation?
- Derive it from the drawdown allowance rather than the account balance. Allowance divided by 12 to 20 is a sensible range, which usually lands between 0.25% and 0.5% of the account.
- Why do most people fail a challenge?
- Sizing set against the account balance instead of the drawdown, recovery trading after the first loss of a session, and not checking whether the drawdown trails on balance or on equity. Analysis quality is rarely the cause.
- What's the difference between static and trailing drawdown?
- A static floor is fixed at the starting balance minus the allowance and never moves, so profit becomes a cushion. A trailing floor follows your highest balance or equity, so gains permanently raise the bar you're measured against.
- Is this financial advice?
- No. Everything here is educational, and trading carries a substantial risk of loss. Always read the current rulebook of any programme you join.
Keep learning
Run the numbers on these rules
Calculators and definitions that turn evaluation rules into a sizing plan.
Educational content only. SimpleAlgo does not sell funded accounts, does not operate an evaluation programme, and has no affiliate relationship with any proprietary trading firm. Nothing here is financial advice, and trading carries a substantial risk of loss. SimpleAlgo is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by TradingView. TradingView is a trademark of TradingView, Inc.