Passing an evaluation
How hard is a prop firm challenge?The arithmetic behind the rules.
A prop firm challenge is hard mainly because of the ratio between the profit target and the losses the rules allow. On a GFN 1 Step, the 10% target must be reached without losing 5% in a day or 8% overall. Trailing drawdowns, consistency rules and minimum trading days add to it. GFN does not publish a pass rate.
The core difficulty: target versus room
Every evaluation asks for a gain before a loss. The larger the target relative to the loss you are allowed, the less room a strategy has for an ordinary losing run. A useful single number is the target divided by the maximum drawdown: above 1, the evaluation asks you to make more than you are allowed to lose.
| Program | Profit target | Daily loss limit | Max drawdown | Target / drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant | None | $3,000 | $5,000 trailing | No target |
| 1 Step | $10,000 | $5,000 | $8,000 trailing, then fixed | 1.25 |
| 2 Step | $8,000 then $5,000 | $5,000 | $8,000 fixed | 1.00 then 0.63 |
The rules that make it harder
- A daily loss limit. One bad session can end the account even if the overall drawdown has room. See the daily loss limit.
- A trailing drawdown. The floor follows your equity high, so profit given back shrinks the room. See trailing drawdown.
- A consistency rule. One large day cannot supply too much of the target. See the consistency rule, explained.
- Minimum trading days. The target has to be spread across several sessions. See minimum trading days.
- A time limit. A deadline pushes traders to size up late. GFN has none - see no time limit.
Which GFN program is least demanding?
It depends on the trader. The 2 Step has the lowest target per phase and a fixed drawdown, but two phases, a 35% consistency rule and 3 minimum trading days. The 1 Step has one phase with no consistency rule or minimum days, but a larger single target and a trailing drawdown until it locks. Instant has no evaluation at all, with a tighter 3% daily limit and a withdrawal cap once trading.
How to make it less hard
- Size from the daily limit, not the target. Risking about 0.5% a trade means a $5,000 daily limit survives many consecutive losses.
- Use the absence of a deadline. With no time limit there is no reason to take large risks late.
- Test against the rules, not just profit. Would your worst day have breached? See backtesting.
- Know how your floor moves. See intraday trailing drawdown.
Questions
Sources
This guide relies on no external sources. Every GFN figure in it is generated from the same published pricing and rules data the checkout uses.