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 TradeDay Challenge (2026)

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

Start the TradeDay challenge → Read the full review

TradeDay challenge at a glance

Evaluation
One-Step
Drawdown model
Trailing (Trailing)
Minimum days
Varies
Time limit
No fixed limit
Fee ($100K)
from $99
Fee refunded
No

What TradeDay actually asks you to do

TradeDay runs a One-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

TradeDay 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 TradeDay evaluations

  • 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: allowed. Swing positions can stay open. Gap risk over the weekend still counts against your drawdown on Monday.
  • 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 TradeDay accounts via a copier is a termination, not a warning.
  • Minimum Varies 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: No fixed limit. 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 TradeDay'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

TradeDay runs on Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Rithmic. 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 Up to 90%. Withdrawals were processing in Standard cycle when we last checked. The challenge fee is not refunded, so the first payout is where you start recovering it. 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 TradeDay allow weekend holding?

Yes — positions can stay open over the weekend at TradeDay.

Can I trade news at TradeDay?

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

How many trading days does the TradeDay challenge require?

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

Is there a time limit on the TradeDay evaluation?

Yes: No fixed limit.

Is the TradeDay challenge fee refundable?

No — the fee is not refunded.

Related

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 Spot something outdated?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