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 ThinkCapital Challenge (2026)

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

Start the ThinkCapital challenge → Read the full review

ThinkCapital challenge at a glance

Evaluation
Lightning (1-Step) / Dual Step (2-Step) / Nexus (3-Step)
Drawdown model
Trailing (locks at +6%)
Minimum days
3
Time limit
No time limit
Consistency rule
None
Fee ($100K)
from $29
Fee refunded
Yes, on first payout

What ThinkCapital actually asks you to do

ThinkCapital runs a Lightning (1-Step) / Dual Step (2-Step) / Nexus (3-Step). We have not yet pinned the exact profit target and loss limits into our data for this firm — they are on the firm's own pricing page, and the shape of the challenge (drawdown model, minimum days, time limit) below is what actually decides whether your strategy fits, so read that first.

How the drawdown works here — and how people misread it

ThinkCapital uses a trailing drawdown, and unless the firm specifies end-of-day, assume it trails your intraday equity high. That means unrealised profit raises your floor permanently: a trade that goes up $2,000 and comes back to breakeven has moved your floor $2,000 closer even though your balance never changed. This is the single most common way traders get closed out here while feeling like they were "up". The defence is boring and effective — take partial profits, and never let a winner turn into a scratch.

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 ThinkCapital 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: restricted. Expect a no-trade window around high-impact releases. Note the exact minutes and which calendar the firm uses, and remember a stop that triggers inside the window can count as a trade inside the window.
  • 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: not allowed. Manual only. Even a trade-management script can be flagged, so ask before you attach anything to the platform.
  • Copy trading between your own accounts is not permitted. Running the same trades on two ThinkCapital accounts via a copier is a termination, not a warning.
  • Minimum 3 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.
  • No time limit. This removes the single biggest cause of blown evaluations — catch-up sizing. Use it: there is no reason to take a trade you would not take on a funded account.

A plan that fits ThinkCapital's rules

  1. Fix risk per trade at 1% and do not touch it. Two losers and the day is done, whatever the platform lets you do.
  2. Set a daily stop below the firm's. Your own line should sit well inside the firm's. The gap is slippage and the "one more trade" moment.
  3. Spread the target across as many sessions as the time limit allows. The target divided by twenty is a small daily number; the mistake is trying to make it a large one.
  4. Bank partials on every winner. With a trailing floor, unrealised profit you give back is gone twice — from your balance and from your room. Half off at 1R is not timid here; it is the rule.
  5. 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

ThinkCapital runs on MT5, ThinkTrader, TradingView. 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 Bi-weekly, 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

Does ThinkCapital allow weekend holding?

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

Can I trade news at ThinkCapital?

No — ThinkCapital restricts trading around high-impact news. Check the exact window in the terms.

How many trading days does the ThinkCapital challenge require?

A minimum of 3. Hitting the target faster does not shorten it.

Is there a time limit on the ThinkCapital evaluation?

No — ThinkCapital has no time limit on the evaluation.

Is the ThinkCapital challenge fee refundable?

Yes — it is refunded with your first payout.

Related

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