How Many Attempts Does It Take to Pass a Prop Firm Challenge?

Why Most Traders Don’t Pass Prop Firm Challenges on the First Attempt

If you’re considering a prop firm challenge, you’ve probably wondered: How many attempts does it take to actually pass? The honest answer: usually more than one. Most traders, including experienced ones, need multiple tries to make it through strict profit targets and drawdown limits. Even at firms with more forgiving rules, the odds are stacked against a first-shot win.

Prop Firm Challenge Pass Rates: What the Data Says

Prop firms rarely publish official pass rates, but some, like Take Profit Trader, do: they report a 36% evaluation pass rate—one of the highest in the industry. Unofficial numbers (from trader forums and refund statistics) suggest most firms see only 10-20% of traders pass both challenge phases on their first attempt.

Consider these rough averages:

• First Attempt Pass Rate: 10-20%
• Second Attempt Pass Rate: 15-25%
• Third or More Attempts: Incremental improvement, but diminishing returns

Even at the best firms, most traders need to reset at least once. That means budgeting for multiple challenge fees and mentally preparing for setbacks.

Firm-by-Firm Challenge Difficulty: What Makes Passing Hard?

Let’s break down the specifics for leading prop firms. Each firm’s rules—profit target, drawdown, minimum days, trading period—directly impact your chances.

*Estimated based on industry averages and available disclosures

How Rules Affect Your Likelihood of Passing

• High Profit Targets (10%+): Harder to hit, especially under tight drawdown rules (e.g. FTMO, FundedNext, Lux Trading Firm).
• Low Max Drawdown (4-6%): Less room for error — e.g. TopStep (4%), Tradeify (4%), The5ers (6%).
• Daily Drawdown: 2-5% is common. Some firms (Apex, My Funded Futures) have no daily loss limit, making risk management less punishing.
• Unlimited Trading Period: Firms like E8 Markets, The5ers, and MyFundedFX let you take as long as you need, reducing time pressure — a significant advantage for many traders.
• One-Step vs. Two-Step Challenges: One-step (e.g. Apex, The5ers, Tradeify) is simpler, but often has tighter rules. Two-step (e.g. FTMO, FundedNext) means double the opportunity for error or failure.

How Many Attempts Should You Realistically Budget For?

Based on the above, most traders should expect:

• 2-4 attempts for most prop firm challenges
• Some highly skilled or lucky traders will pass on the first try
• Many will need 3+ attempts, especially at firms with strict rules or two-step evaluations

For example, to pass FTMO's two-step challenge ($100K account at $618), you might need to pay the fee 2-3 times before earning a funded account. That's $1,236–$1,854 in challenge fees alone—not counting time and opportunity cost.

Firm Examples: Cost of Multiple Attempts

• E8 Markets $100K: $588 per challenge x 3 attempts = $1,764
• MyFundedFX $100K: $549 per challenge x 3 attempts = $1,647
• The5ers $100K: $875 per challenge x 3 attempts = $2,625 (but lower profit target and unlimited time)

Some firms refund the fee after your first payout (e.g. FTMO, Blue Guardian after 4th payout), but only if you get funded and meet payout criteria.

What Actually Causes Most Traders to Fail?

Understanding why traders fail can help you avoid common traps. Here’s what the data and trader feedback show:

• Overtrading to Hit the Target: Chasing a 10% profit in 30 days (FTMO, FundedNext) often leads to oversized positions and blowups.
• Drawdown Breaches: Daily/max drawdown rules (e.g. FTMO's 5% daily, TopStep's 2% daily) catch traders off guard—especially during news or volatile sessions.
• Poor Risk Management: Traders accustomed to looser demo rules struggle with strict prop firm risk controls.
• Time Pressure: 30-day phase limits (FTMO, FundedNext) force traders to be aggressive, reducing natural edge.
• Psychological Pressure: Knowing that a single mistake ends your run changes behavior, often for the worse.

Non-Obvious Trade-Offs: What the Marketing Doesn’t Tell You

• Unlimited Trading Period Isn’t Always Easier: It reduces time pressure, but can encourage procrastination or endless micro-losing streaks. You still need to hit the profit target without breaching drawdown.
• One-Step vs. Two-Step: One-step is faster, but often has tighter rules (e.g. The5ers: only 6% max drawdown). Two-step offers a "second chance" if you learn from phase one.
• Profit Splits Aren’t Relevant Until You Pass: 90/10 or 100% split sounds great, but if you never get funded, it’s irrelevant. Focus on pass probability first.
• Scaling Promises Are for Survivors: Many firms advertise scaling to $2M, $4M, or even $10M (Lux Trading Firm). In reality, very few traders ever reach these tiers. Don’t let the scaling carrot distract from the challenge at hand.
• Refunds and Retakes: FTMO offers a free retake if you meet certain criteria (e.g. positive balance, all rules followed, but didn’t hit the target). Most firms only refund your fee after a successful payout—so count on paying for each attempt.
• Challenge Model Matters: Some firms (MyFundedFX, Goat Funded Trader) offer multiple challenge formats (1-step, 2-step, instant funding). Familiarize yourself with the differences before committing.

What About Automated Trading and EAs?

If you’re a systematic trader, check the EA rules. For example:

• FTMO, FundedNext, E8: EAs allowed
• The5ers, TopStep (Futures): No EAs allowed
• Lux Trading Firm: No automated trading or HFT

Attempting to pass with an EA? Make sure it’s robust to strict drawdown and profit targets. Many algos that do well on demo fail under real challenge constraints.

How to Improve Your Odds: Practical Steps

• Simulate the Rules Exactly: Trade a demo account with the exact profit target, drawdown, and time constraints of your chosen firm. Don’t "bend" the rules in practice.
• Build in Extra Margin: Aim for a lower than maximum drawdown in your own backtests. If the limit is 5%, try to keep real risk under 3%.
• Plan for Multiple Attempts: Set aside 2-4x the challenge fee as your "challenge bankroll." Don’t risk everything on one try.
• Start Small: Consider smaller account sizes for your first attempt ($10K at FTMO is $155 vs. $618 for $100K). Once you’ve passed once, scale up.
• Choose the Right Challenge for Your Style: If you swing trade, avoid firms that prohibit weekend holding. If you trade news, check for restrictions (e.g. Blue Guardian bans news trading on funded accounts).

Realistic Scenarios: How Many Attempts for Different Trader Types?

The Cautious Risk Manager: Trades 1% risk per trade, never exceeds daily loss. Likely to need 2 attempts at FTMO (due to 10% target in 30 days), maybe only 1 at The5ers or Tradeify (lower target, unlimited time).

The Aggressive Scalper: Goes for big wins, but often breaches daily drawdown. May need 4-5 attempts at most firms unless rules are very loose (e.g. Apex, no daily drawdown).

The Systematic EA Trader: If EA is robust, could pass in 1-2 attempts at an EA-friendly firm. But many EAs fail under real challenge conditions. Expect 3+ attempts unless thoroughly stress-tested.

The "Lucky Streak" Trader: Occasionally, traders pass on attempt #1, but most will regress to the mean over time. Don’t count on luck.

What If You Never Pass?

Some traders spend thousands on repeated attempts without ever passing. If you’ve failed 3-4 times, it’s worth taking a step back:

• Review your trading journal. Are you breaking rules or just unlucky?
• Try a smaller account or different firm with more forgiving rules.
• Use the PropSurvivalEngine Health Grades to assess your strategy’s real challenge survival odds.
• Consider whether prop trading is the right fit—or if your current strategy needs serious revision.

Bottom Line: What Should You Do?

Passing a prop firm challenge is difficult by design. Most traders will need 2-4 attempts before getting funded. The exact number depends on your experience, risk management, the firm’s specific rules, and your psychological discipline under pressure.

• Budget for multiple attempts—don’t risk all your capital on a single try.
• Pick a firm whose rules fit your style—use real numbers, not marketing hype.
• Simulate and practice under real conditions before paying any fees.
• Use PropSurvivalEngine’s tools to benchmark your odds and compare firms.

With realistic expectations, a strong process, and careful firm selection, you can minimize both the number of attempts and the total cost to get funded. But remember: most traders don’t pass on the first try—so plan, adapt, and keep learning.