Prop Firm Consistency Rules Explained - Complete Guide 2025

Prop firm consistency rules are one of the most critical yet misunderstood aspects of funded trading challenges. Many traders pass the profit target only to fail because of the consistency rule. In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down exactly what consistency rules are, how different prop firms calculate them, and proven strategies to pass your evaluation while maintaining healthy trading habits.

What Are Prop Firm Consistency Rules?

Consistency rules are requirements set by proprietary trading firms to ensure traders demonstrate sustainable and disciplined trading behavior rather than gambling or taking excessive risks. The fundamental principle is simple: your best trading day should not represent too large a percentage of your total profits.

Key Concept: If you make $2,000 total profit during an evaluation, and $1,500 came from a single trading day, you've shown poor consistency. Prop firms want to see steady, reliable profits across multiple trading days, not one lucky trade.

This rule exists because prop firms are investing real capital in traders. They need confidence that your success wasn't luck-based but rather the result of a proven, repeatable strategy. A trader who can generate consistent daily returns is far more valuable than one who has sporadic big wins followed by losses.

How Consistency Rules Are Calculated

The most common consistency rule formula used by prop firms is:

Consistency Score = (Best Trading Day Profit / Total Profit) × 100

Example: If your best day profit is $400 and total profit is $1,200:

Consistency Score = ($400 / $1,200) × 100 = 33.3%

Most prop firms have different thresholds for what they consider acceptable:

Strict firms: 30-35% maximum (very difficult to achieve)
Moderate firms: 40-50% maximum (standard requirement)
Lenient firms: 50-60% maximum (more achievable)
No consistency rule: Some firms don't enforce this at all

Major Prop Firm Consistency Requirements

Let's examine the specific consistency rules from the most popular proprietary trading firms in 2025:

Prop Firm	Consistency Rule	Applies To	Difficulty
FTMO	50% Maximum	Phase 1 & 2	Moderate
MyForexFunds	30% Maximum	Evaluation Only	Very Difficult
The5ers	40% Maximum	All Phases	Difficult
TopstepFX	No Rule	N/A	Easy
Funded Trading Plus	45% Maximum	Challenge Phase	Moderate
City Traders Imperium	50% Maximum	Evaluation	Moderate
E8 Funding	No Rule	N/A	Easy

FTMO Consistency Rule Detailed

FTMO is the most popular prop firm globally, and their 50% consistency rule applies to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of their evaluation. Here's exactly how it works:

Your single best trading day cannot exceed 50% of your total profit
Calculated across all trading days with realized profits
Only profitable days count toward the calculation
Applies to both demo evaluation and funded account
Failure results in automatic challenge termination

FTMO Example: If you need to make $1,000 profit for a $10,000 account, your best single trading day can contribute a maximum of $500. This means you need at least 2-3 profitable trading days to pass safely.

MyForexFunds Consistency Rule Detailed

MyForexFunds has the strictest consistency requirement in the industry at just 30%. This makes their challenges significantly more difficult:

Best trading day cannot exceed 30% of total profits
Requires minimum 4-5 profitable days to pass safely
Only applies during evaluation phase, not funded account
Most traders fail due to this rule, not profit targets

MyForexFunds Example: For a $1,000 profit target, your best day can only contribute $300 maximum. You'll need to spread profits across at least 4 trading days to maintain compliance.

Strategies to Pass Consistency Rules

Now that you understand how consistency rules work, let's explore proven strategies to ensure you pass your prop firm challenge:

1. Plan Your Profit Distribution

Before you even start trading, calculate how many days you'll need to trade to meet the profit target while staying within consistency limits:

Minimum Trading Days Formula:

Minimum Days = 100 / Consistency Percentage

For 50% rule: 100 / 50 = 2 days minimum

For 30% rule: 100 / 30 = 3.33, round up to 4 days minimum

Add a buffer of 1-2 extra days to account for varying profit sizes. For FTMO's 50% rule, aim for 3-4 profitable days. For MyForexFunds' 30% rule, target 5-6 profitable days.

2. Scale Out of Winning Positions

Instead of closing your entire position at once, scale out in portions across multiple days:

Close 30-40% of position on Day 1
Close 30-40% of position on Day 2
Close remaining 20-30% on Day 3

This technique is particularly effective for swing traders who hold positions for multiple days. By taking partial profits across different trading days, you naturally distribute your gains and maintain consistency.

3. Trade Multiple Sessions

If you're a day trader, consider trading both London and New York sessions on different days:

Monday: Trade London session only ($250 profit)
Tuesday: Trade New York session only ($300 profit)
Wednesday: Trade both sessions ($450 profit)

This approach distributes your trading activity and profits naturally across multiple days while maintaining your normal trading strategy.

4. Use the "Two-Thirds Rule"

A practical approach many successful prop traders use:

Aim to make roughly one-third of your profit target on Day 1
Make another third on Day 2
Make the final third on Day 3

This naturally keeps you well within any consistency threshold while giving you a clear roadmap for your evaluation.

5. Track Your Consistency Live

Don't wait until the end of your challenge to check consistency. Track it after every trading day using our Consistency Calculator. This allows you to:

Know exactly where you stand at all times
Adjust your strategy if you're approaching limits
Avoid accidentally violating rules
Plan remaining trading days strategically

Common Consistency Rule Mistakes to Avoid

Many traders fail their prop firm challenges due to these preventable mistakes:

Mistake 1: Not Understanding the Math

Traders assume they understand consistency rules but calculate them incorrectly. The rule applies to your BEST day as a percentage of TOTAL profit, not average daily profit. Always verify your calculations with a dedicated tool.

Mistake 2: Trying to Pass Too Quickly

Rushing to complete your challenge in minimum time often leads to consistency rule violations. If you make 80% of your profit target on Day 1, you've already failed most consistency requirements even if you haven't violated profit targets or drawdown limits.

Mistake 3: Weekend Gap Risk

Holding positions over the weekend hoping for gaps to work in your favor is extremely risky for consistency. A large favorable gap can give you huge profits on one day, violating consistency rules even though you technically earned it while not trading.

Mistake 4: Revenge Trading After Losses

After a losing day, traders often try to recover everything the next day. This aggressive approach typically results in one massive winning day that violates consistency requirements, even if you hit your profit target.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Compounding Effects

As you make profits, your account grows, meaning each subsequent trade represents a smaller percentage of your total profits. Plan accordingly and don't assume you need equal profits each day.

Advanced Consistency Management Techniques

The Safety Buffer Approach

Instead of trading to the maximum allowable consistency percentage, aim for 10-15% below the threshold:

For 50% consistency rule, target 35-40% maximum best day
For 30% consistency rule, target 20-25% maximum best day

This buffer protects you from calculation errors and gives flexibility if you accidentally have a particularly profitable day.

The Multiple Position Strategy

Instead of entering one large position, split your risk across multiple smaller positions that you can close on different days:

Enter Position A on Monday
Enter Position B on Tuesday
Close Position A on Wednesday
Close Position B on Thursday

This staggered approach naturally distributes profits across multiple trading days while maintaining your overall risk management principles.

The Profit Lock Strategy

Once you've achieved 70-80% of your profit target with good consistency, consider:

Reducing position sizes significantly
Taking only the highest probability setups
Prioritizing capital preservation over additional gains

This defensive approach ensures you don't accidentally violate rules in the final stages of your challenge when you're close to passing.

Calculate Your Consistency Score Now

Use our free Consistency Calculator to track your progress and ensure you're within prop firm requirements

Try Consistency Calculator →

Choosing the Right Prop Firm Based on Consistency Rules

If you're struggling with consistency requirements, consider these factors when selecting a prop firm:

For Aggressive Day Traders

If you typically make most of your profits in concentrated bursts, choose firms with:

No consistency rule (TopstepFX, E8 Funding)
Lenient 50%+ rules (FTMO, City Traders Imperium)
Rules that only apply to evaluations, not funded accounts

For Swing Traders

Swing traders naturally have an advantage with consistency rules because positions held across multiple days automatically distribute profits. You can comfortably trade with firms like:

MyForexFunds (despite strict 30% rule)
The5ers (40% rule)
FTMO (50% rule)

For Conservative Scalpers

If you make many small trades throughout the day, consistency rules are rarely an issue. You'll naturally pass any firm's requirements as long as you're profitable.

Real Trader Examples: Success and Failure

Success Example: Sarah's FTMO Pass

Sarah traded a $100,000 FTMO challenge requiring $10,000 profit with a 50% consistency rule:

Day 1: $2,800 profit (planned for ~30%)
Day 3: $3,500 profit (new best day at 35%)
Day 5: $2,100 profit
Day 7: $1,900 profit
Total: $10,300 profit, Best day 34%, Passed ✓

Sarah succeeded because she distributed profits across 4 trading days and kept her best day well below the 50% threshold.

Failure Example: Mike's MyForexFunds Challenge

Mike traded a $50,000 MyForexFunds challenge requiring $2,500 profit with a 30% consistency rule:

Day 1: $1,200 profit
Day 2: $800 profit
Day 3: $650 profit
Total: $2,650 profit, Best day 45%, Failed ✗

Mike violated the 30% rule despite hitting his profit target. His best day represented 45% of total profits ($1,200 / $2,650). He should have traded at least one more day to dilute the percentage.

Tools and Resources for Consistency Management

Managing consistency rules requires the right tools and constant monitoring. Here are essential resources:

1. Consistency Calculator

Our Consistency Calculator helps you:

Calculate your current consistency score
See how many more days you need to trade
Determine maximum profit allowed on next trading day
Compare your stats against different firm requirements

2. Trading Journal with Consistency Tracking

Maintain a detailed journal that tracks:

Daily profit/loss amounts
Running consistency percentage
Days remaining in challenge
Profit remaining to target

3. Broker Platform Features

Use your trading platform's built-in analytics to monitor:

Account growth charts
Daily P&L reports
Trade history
Equity curve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the consistency rule in prop trading?

The consistency rule in prop trading ensures traders don't make all their profits in one or two trading days. Most prop firms require that your best trading day should not exceed 30-50% of total profits. This rule promotes disciplined, sustainable trading rather than gambling behavior.

What is FTMO's consistency rule?

FTMO requires that your best trading day must not exceed 50% of your total profits. For example, if you make $1,000 total profit, no single day can contribute more than $500 to that total. This applies to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the evaluation.

How do I calculate my consistency score?

Calculate consistency by dividing your best trading day profit by your total profit, then multiply by 100. If your best day is $400 and total profit is $1,200, your consistency is 33.3% ($400 / $1,200 × 100). Use our Consistency Calculator for automatic calculations.

Which prop firms don't have consistency rules?

Several prop firms have no consistency requirements, including TopstepFX, E8 Funding, and Apex Trader Funding. These firms only require you to meet profit targets and stay within drawdown limits, making them ideal for traders who prefer more flexibility in their trading approach.

Can I still pass if I violate the consistency rule temporarily?

No, consistency rules are typically hard limits. If you violate them at any point during your evaluation, the challenge is immediately failed, even if you're otherwise profitable and within drawdown limits. This is why monitoring consistency throughout your challenge is critical.

Do consistency rules apply to funded accounts?

It depends on the prop firm. Some firms like FTMO apply consistency rules to funded accounts, while others like MyForexFunds only enforce them during the evaluation phase. Always check your specific firm's funded account rules, as they may differ from evaluation requirements.