Prop Firm Consistency Rule: How It Works at Topstep, Apex and FTMO
A consistency rule caps how much of your profit may come from your single best day. It rarely fails an account, but it can quietly raise your target or hold back a payout. Here is the formula, what each firm uses, and how much total profit a given best day requires.
The formula
Consistency % = best day ÷ total profit. The result must stay at or under your firm's limit. Turned around, the total profit you need is best day ÷ limit. With a 40% rule and a $1,500 best day: $1,500 ÷ 0.40 = $3,750.
Two details change the result:
- Losing days count. They cut total profit but leave the best day where it is. Apex's example: +$1,000 then −$200 gives $1,000 ÷ $800 = 125%.
- Extra profit on your best day makes it bigger. If today is your best day, trading on to reach the target only raises it. Topstep says plainly that the extra profit has to come on a later day.
What Topstep, Apex and FTMO use
Each row comes from the firm's own page, verified Oct 23, 2026.
| Firm and phase | Limit | What happens if you are over | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep Trading Combine | Best day at or below 55% (of the Profit Target, and of total profit) | Profit Target rises to best day ÷ 0.55 | Topstep |
| Topstep Express Funded, Consistency path | 40% or less of total net profit, plus 3 trading days | No payout until the ratio drops; resets after each payout | Topstep |
| Apex evaluations | None | — | Apex |
| Apex Performance Account | Less than 50% of net profit since the last payout | Payout unavailable until the ratio drops; account stays active | Apex |
| FTMO Futures Growth Evaluation | At most 40% of total profit | You keep trading until it is 40% or less | FTMO Futures |
| FTMO Futures Sim-Funded | None | — | FTMO Futures |
How much total profit a best day requires
Rounded up to the next dollar. For Apex the ratio must be below 50%, so you need slightly more than double your best day; Apex's own worked example counts exactly 50% as met, but a small buffer costs you little.
| Best day | At 55% (Topstep Combine) | At 50% (Apex PA) | At 40% (FTMO, Topstep XFA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $1,819 | more than $2,000 | $2,500 |
| $1,500 | $2,728 | more than $3,000 | $3,750 |
| $2,000 | $3,637 | more than $4,000 | $5,000 |
| $3,000 | $5,455 | more than $6,000 | $7,500 |
Decision: before the session, work out your best-day cap. On a Topstep 50K Combine ($3,000 target) that is $1,650; on an FTMO Futures 50K ($3,000 target, 40%) it is $1,200. When you reach it, stop or cut size. A bigger day is not wasted, but it adds days to your evaluation.
Three ways to stay under the limit
- Set a daily profit cap at your best-day number. Topstep lets you set a Personal Daily Profit Target in TopstepX risk settings.
- Keep size the same every day. Doubling size after a loss is how one oversized day appears.
- Check the ratio at the end of each day, not at the end of the evaluation.
Check your days
The prop firm drawdown calculator takes your daily results and a consistency limit and shows whether you pass and how much more profit you need. The MyTradeEdge journal has a calendar of your daily P&L, so your best day and total are one glance away, but it does not calculate the consistency ratio for you; the calculator does.
For the full rules of each firm, see Topstep rules, Apex Trader Funding rules and FTMO Futures rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is a consistency rule in prop trading?
A limit on how much of your total profit can come from your single best day. The formula is best day divided by total profit. With a 40% rule and a $1,500 best day, you need at least $3,750 of total profit.
Does breaking the consistency rule fail my account?
At Topstep, Apex and FTMO Futures, no. It raises your profit target (Topstep Combine), blocks the payout until the ratio drops (Apex, Topstep Consistency path) or delays passing (FTMO). You fix it by making more profit on other days.
Do losing days affect the consistency rule?
Yes. They lower your total profit but not your best day, so the ratio gets worse. Apex gives the example of $1,000 on day one and a $200 loss on day two: $1,000 divided by $800 is 125%.
How do I calculate the profit I need to pass the consistency rule?
Divide your best day by the rule as a decimal. A $2,000 best day needs $5,000 total under 40%, just over $4,000 under Apex's "less than 50%" rule and $3,637 under 55%.
Check your consistency in 30 seconds
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Open the calculatorTopstep, Apex Trader Funding and FTMO are trademarks of their owners. MyTradeEdge is not affiliated with them. This page explains public rules and is not trading advice.