How to pass the Apex evaluation
Reach the profit target ($3,000 on a 50K) within 30 calendar days without your balance touching the drawdown threshold. There's no minimum number of days and no best-day rule on the eval. On the End of Day eval the threshold only moves at the close and a daily loss limit pauses you; on Intraday it follows your peak during the day.
The rules you're playing by
| Size | Price | Usual coupon price | Profit target | Max loss | Daily loss limit | Max contracts | Activation | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $490 one-time | $49 | $1,500 | $1,000 | $500, pauses the day | 4 minis / 40 micros | $109 | 67% |
| 50K | $590 one-time | $59 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000, pauses the day | 6 minis / 60 micros | $129 | 67% |
| 100K | $1,190 one-time | $119 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $1,500, pauses the day | 8 minis / 80 micros | $139 | 50% |
| 150K | $2,190 one-time | $219 | $9,000 | $4,000 | $2,000, pauses the day | 12 minis / 120 micros | $159 | 44% |
On the End of Day eval:
- The threshold is set once a day at 4:59:59 PM ET from your closing balance, trails the highest close and never moves down. It's enforced in real time the next session, so an open loss that touches it ends the eval.
- The daily loss limit ($1,000 on the 50K) is fixed for the session. Hit it and Apex closes your positions for the day. The eval survives.
- No minimum days, no best-day rule. Hit the target on day one and you've passed.
- 30 calendar days. No resets. When you pass you have 7 days to activate the PA.
Where the threshold stops trailing depends on the platform. On Rithmic and WealthCharts it stops once it reaches the profit target balance; on Tradovate it keeps trailing your best close.
End of Day or Intraday
| Size | Price | Usual coupon price | Profit target | Max loss | Daily loss limit | Max contracts | Activation | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $167 one-time | $16.70 | $1,500 | $1,000 | none | 4 minis / 40 micros | $89 | 67% |
| 50K | $249 one-time | $24.90 | $3,000 | $2,000 | none | 6 minis / 60 micros | $99 | 67% |
| 100K | $790 one-time | $79 | $6,000 | $3,000 | none | 8 minis / 80 micros | $129 | 50% |
| 150K | $1,190 one-time | $119 | $9,000 | $4,000 | none | 12 minis / 120 micros | $149 | 44% |
The Intraday eval is cheaper and has no daily loss limit, but the threshold follows your peak balance during the session, open profit included. A trade that runs up $1,500 and comes back to flat can move your floor $1,500 without you losing a dollar. If you hold winners through pullbacks, End of Day is the safer buy even though it costs more. The full mechanic is in EOD vs intraday drawdown.
The plan for a 50K End of Day
- Set a pace for the month, not the day. $3,000 over 30 calendar days is about 21 trading days. $300 a day gets there with a week to spare.
- Size for the daily limit. Six minis is the maximum, not a target. On ES each point is $50 a contract, so 6 contracts lose your $1,000 daily limit on a move of just over 3 points.
- Bank a good day. There's no best-day rule here, so a strong day can finish the eval. Just don't let it turn into a giveback: the next close sets a higher floor.
- Think ahead to the PA. The PA brings in a 50% best-day rule on payouts and 5 qualifying days. Building the habit of steady days now pays later.
Why people fail it
- Running out of days. A slow start and the clock does the rest. By week three, if you're not close, the next eval is already on the bill.
- Full size on day one. The maximum contract count plus a fast market burns the daily limit before the first hour is over.
- Buying Intraday to save money. The floor creeps up on every unrealized peak.
- Hedging. Passing evals by taking opposite positions on two accounts is prohibited and ends them.
When you pass
You activate a Performance Account of the same size, with tier-based contracts, a daily loss limit that grows with profit and the payout rules on the Apex PA rules page. Still deciding on a firm? See Apex vs Topstep.
Practice the exact account
FundedSim simulates every Apex End of Day and Intraday size with the published rules, the PA included. Run your plan there first and watch where the threshold sits each evening.
Questions people actually ask
Can you pass Apex in one day?
Yes. Apex has no minimum trading days and no consistency rule on the eval, so one day that reaches the target passes it. The 50% best-day rule only starts on payouts from the PA.
What happens when the 30 days run out?
The eval ends. If you haven't reached the target, you buy a new one. There are no resets inside the 30 days.
Does the daily loss limit fail the Apex eval?
No. On the End of Day eval it closes your positions and ends your day, but the account keeps going. The loss still counts toward your threshold.
Blow it here, not on a paid eval
Run the same rules on your own trades in the simulator. Free, no card, and a blown account costs you nothing but pride.
Start practicing