You hit your profit target. You stayed within drawdown. You traded the minimum number of days. And then you're told you failed the evaluation — because of the consistency rule. It catches more traders than almost any other rule, and most don't even know it exists until it's too late.
What Is the Consistency Rule?
The consistency rule requires that no single trading day contributes too large a percentage of your total profit. Firms implement it to filter out traders who got lucky on one big day rather than demonstrating consistent, repeatable performance.
The most common version: your best single trading day must not exceed 30–50% of your total net profit over the evaluation period.
How It's Calculated
The formula is straightforward:
Best day P&L ÷ Total net profit ≤ Consistency cap (e.g. 30%)
Example — $100K Challenge, 30% Cap
Even though the trader made $8,000 and hit the target, the Day 1 result ($3,200) was 40% of total profit — above the 30% cap. The evaluation fails.
Which Firms Use It?
Not every firm applies a consistency rule, and the cap varies where they do:
- FTMO: Applies a consistency rule — best day typically cannot exceed 30–40% of total.
- MyFundedFutures: Consistency rule applies to funded accounts (not just evaluation).
- Apex Trader Funding: No traditional consistency rule on most plans.
- TopStep: No explicit consistency rule, but daily loss limits cap individual-day gains indirectly.
Always read the specific terms for your firm and account type before you start.
How to Trade Within the Rule
If your firm has a 30% consistency cap on an $8,000 target ($100K account), your best single day can be at most $2,400. Here's how to stay within it:
- Set a daily profit cap. Decide in advance the maximum you'll make in a single session. If you're up $2,000 on a day with a $2,400 cap, stop trading or significantly reduce size.
- Bank some profits slowly. It's better to make $1,500 across 5 days than $5,000 in one day and $1,000 across the others.
- Check your ratio regularly. As your total net profit grows, the absolute cap on your best day increases too — so you have more room later in the evaluation.
Use the Calculator
The Consistency Rule Calculator lets you input your best day profit and total profit, then tells you instantly whether you comply with the rule — and what your best day cap is at any point in the evaluation.
Key Takeaways
- The consistency rule prevents any single day from dominating your total profit.
- The most common cap is 30% — so your best day can't be more than 30% of total profit.
- Check your firm's specific terms — not all firms use it, and the cap varies.
- Set a daily profit cap during your session to avoid accidentally breaching it.