HOTFTMO raises max funded to $400K — our review updatedNEWFundedNext now pays 90% profit split on all funded accountsDEALThe5ers free evaluation — limited spots this weekUPDATEE8 Markets drawdown rules updated — see our revised reviewHOTFTMO raises max funded to $400K — our review updatedNEWFundedNext now pays 90% profit split on all funded accountsDEALThe5ers free evaluation — limited spots this weekUPDATEE8 Markets drawdown rules updated — see our revised review

How to Pass the FTMO Challenge (2026)

The rules as they actually apply, the drawdown maths on a $100K account, the mistakes that end most attempts at FTMO, and a risk plan built around this firm's specific limits — not generic advice.

Start the FTMO challenge → Read the full review

FTMO challenge at a glance

Evaluation
2-Step
Phase 1 target
10%
Phase 2 target
5%
Max daily loss
5%
Max overall loss
10%
Drawdown model
Static
Minimum days
4 days
Time limit
30 days
Consistency rule
None
Fee ($100K)
from $79
Fee refunded
Yes, on first payout

What FTMO actually asks you to do

The core of the FTMO 2-step is a 10% profit target in phase one and 5% in phase two, inside a 10% maximum loss. That ratio — target divided by the room you have — is 1. That is on the demanding side: you must make at least as much as you are allowed to lose, which leaves no room for a cold streak early on. The daily loss cap of 5% is the rule that ends most attempts here, not the overall one: it resets each day and a single oversized loser can hit it before lunch.

The numbers on a $100K account

  • Phase 1 target: $10,000 of profit; phase 2: $5,000.
  • Daily loss limit: $5,000. Risking 1% per trade means two full losers in a day gets you to $2,000 — still inside, but a third is uncomfortable.
  • Overall loss limit: $10,000. At 1% risk that is 10 consecutive losers before the account is gone; at 0.5% it is 20. Pick the number that would let you sleep.

How the drawdown works here — and how people misread it

FTMO uses a static drawdown: your loss floor is fixed from the starting balance and does not move as you profit. On a $100K account with a 10% max loss, the floor stays at $90,000 no matter how high your equity climbs. This is the most forgiving model in the industry, and the mistake traders make with it is treating early profit as "free" risk. It is not free — every dollar you give back is a dollar closer to the same floor.

Model it against your actual stop sizes with the Drawdown Calculator before you start; two minutes there saves a reset fee.

The rules that end FTMO evaluations

  • No consistency rule on record. One strong day counts fully. That does not mean you should swing for it — an oversized day that goes the other way is the daily loss cap.
  • News trading: allowed. You can hold through and trade releases here. The risk is your own — spreads widen and stops slip, and a slipped stop through the daily cap still counts.
  • Weekend holding: not allowed. Everything must be flat before the Friday close. If your strategy relies on multi-day holds, this firm is not the fit, and no amount of discipline changes that.
  • EAs / automation: allowed. Bots are fine, but "your own" usually means yours — off-the-shelf EAs shared by many traders can trip copy-trade detection.
  • Copy trading between your own accounts is not permitted. Running the same trades on two FTMO accounts via a copier is a termination, not a warning.
  • Minimum 4 days trading days. Hitting the target in two sessions does not pass you — you still have to log the days. Plan small, low-risk trades to fill them rather than sitting out and then forcing it.
  • Time limit: 30 days. The clock is the pressure. The usual failure is a slow first half, then doubled size to catch up. Decide on day one what "not passing this attempt" looks like and accept it rather than tripling risk in week four.

A plan that fits FTMO's rules

  1. Fix risk per trade at 1% and do not touch it. That gives you 5 full losers inside the daily cap. Stop for the day at two — not because the rule says so, but because the third is where tilt lives.
  2. Set a daily stop below the firm's. If FTMO cuts you off at 5%, your own line is 3.5%. The gap is slippage, a wide spread at the open, and one moment of "just one more".
  3. Aim for the target over 10+ sessions, not 4. 10% over twenty sessions is 0.5% a day. That is a modest number. Traders fail this evaluation by trying to make it a big number.
  4. Screenshot the rules page with the date visible. Terms change. "It said something different when I bought" is worth a lot more with evidence.

Platform

FTMO runs on MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade. Practise on the same platform before the evaluation starts — a mis-click on an unfamiliar ticket is the dumbest possible way to hit a daily cap, and it happens every week.

After you pass

Passing gets you a funded account, not a payout. The split is 80% base, up to 90%. Withdrawals were processing in 1–3 business days when we last checked. Your challenge fee is refunded with the first payout, which is the point where the evaluation effectively became free. Read the funded-account rules before your first funded trade: at many firms they are stricter than the evaluation rules, and that is where the second wave of terminations happens.

Quick answers

What is the FTMO profit target?

10% in phase one and 5% in phase two, on the account balance. On a $100K account that is $10,000.

What is the maximum drawdown at FTMO?

10% overall, with a 5% daily loss limit, tracked on a static basis.

Does FTMO allow weekend holding?

No — all positions must be closed before the weekend at FTMO.

Can I trade news at FTMO?

Yes, news trading is allowed at FTMO. Spreads and slippage during releases are your risk.

How many trading days does the FTMO challenge require?

A minimum of 4 days. Hitting the target faster does not shorten it.

Is there a time limit on the FTMO evaluation?

Yes: 30 days.

Is the FTMO challenge fee refundable?

Yes — it is refunded with your first payout.

Related

Rules change. This page is generated from our review data, last verified June 2026. Spot something outdated? Report it on the review page.