1-Step Evaluations Guide

The 1-Step Evaluation has a single phase with a higher profit target than the 2-Step, but gets you funded faster. Complete just one evaluation phase to earn a funded account where you keep 80% of your profits.

For a comparison of all evaluation types, see the Evaluations Guide.

Example (50K Account):

The 1-Step Evaluation uses a Static max drawdown and a daily loss limit measured from your previous day's closing balance. The daily limit resets at the 22:00 UTC snapshot (5:00 PM ET in winter / 6:00 PM ET during Daylight Saving), and the max drawdown floor is fixed at your starting balance minus 6%.

Starting account size: $100,000

At 22:00 UTC (5:00 PM ET in winter / 6:00 PM ET during Daylight Saving), the Daily Loss Limit Snapshot is taken.
In this example, the snapshot balance is $101,500.

The Daily Loss Limit is $3,000, meaning the maximum daily drawdown is calculated as:

$101,500 (snapshot balance) − $3,000 (daily loss limit) = $98,500

This creates a Daily Drawdown Figure of $98,500.

Your account equity (balance plus unrealized P&L from open positions) must remain above this level at all times during the trading day. If your equity falls below $98,500 at any point — including from an open losing trade — a Daily Loss Limit violation occurs and the account is breached immediately. The breach check uses live equity, so you do NOT need to close the trade for the breach to trigger.

Starting account size: $100,000
Max Drawdown: 6% = $6,000

The max drawdown floor is fixed at $94,000 ($100,000 − $6,000). It does not change regardless of your trading results. Your account equity (balance plus unrealized P&L from open positions) must remain above $94,000 at all times — if your equity drops below this floor (including from an open losing trade), the account is breached immediately. The breach check uses live equity, so you do NOT need to close the trade for the breach to trigger.

After passing the 1-Step evaluation, your funded account keeps the same Static 6% max drawdown — until you request a payout.

When you request your first payout, the Payout Lock activates: the max drawdown floor locks permanently at your starting balance. For a $100,000 account, the floor locks at $100,000 — meaning your balance can never drop below the starting balance after this point.

Before payout: Floor = starting balance minus 6% (e.g., $94,000 on a $100K account)

After first payout: Floor permanently locks at starting balance (e.g., $100,000 on a $100K account)

This is the same Payout Lock mechanism used on Instant Funding and APE-X accounts. 2-Step Funded accounts do not have a payout lock. Build a profit buffer before requesting your first payout to give yourself room to trade after the lock activates.

Once you pass to a funded account, you need 3 profitable days before you can request your first payout. A profitable day is any trading day where your account gains 0.5% or more of the account size. The trading day resets at 22:00 UTC (5:00 PM ET in winter / 6:00 PM ET during Daylight Saving).

The evaluation phase has no profitable-day requirement — this applies only to the funded account, before your first payout.

What 0.5% means by account size:

Example (50K Account): Any day you finish up at least $250 (0.5% of $50,000) counts as one profitable day. You need 3 such days on your funded account before your first payout.

Want to upgrade your 1-Step account? At checkout you can add Profit Split 95%, Daily Soft Breach, or Double Leverage. Profit Split 95% and Double Leverage carry through automatically when you pass to the funded phase; Daily Soft Breach covers the evaluation only and ends when you pass. See our Account Add-ons guide.