Futures Prop Trailing Drawdown and Consistency Checklist

US futures evaluations (Topstep, Apex, and similar) fail more often on rule types than on “the setup stopped working.” This checklist is a question list for your journal, not a copy of any firm’s current PDF. Pair it with passing prop firm evaluation rules with journals and the foundational guide to trading journals.

What trailing-drawdown questions should you answer before the open?

1. Is max loss static from starting balance, or does it trail a high-water mark?
2. If it trails, does it use intra-day equity, end-of-day balance, or another snapshot the firm names?
3. Does open P/L count toward the trail right now on this account type?
4. What is remaining buffer on the live dashboard after the last fill — not your spreadsheet?
5. If you just had a winner, did the floor move up so the next loser has less room?

What consistency-rule questions belong in the journal?

1. Is there a best-day cap, a percent-of-profit cap, a minimum days rule, or none on this product?
2. Does a single oversized ES runner put you near that cap even if you are green?
3. Are you about to add size because the dashboard is close to target? That is a process tag, not a setup tag.
4. Would a scratch day that followed the plan be healthier than a revenge day that “diversifies” the P&L chart?

What daily-loss and news questions should you tick?

• Daily loss: calendar day vs session vs trailing intra-day — copy the firm’s wording.
• News: is there a restricted window on this product? Tag the trade if a named event was live. Do not reuse last year’s red-folder list.
• Scaling: micros (MES/MNQ) vs minis (ES/NQ) as buffer changes. Standard CME ticks: ES $12.50, MES $1.25, NQ $5.00, MNQ $0.50. Use the tick-value calculator.

How do you attach this checklist to Topstep, Apex, and the execution platform?

Worked examples: how to track a Topstep evaluation and how to track an Apex evaluation. Capture path: Tradovate screenshot or export or NinjaTrader screenshot or export. FX evaluations still use the FTMO challenge journal. Sanity-check dollars with the prop drawdown calculator, then believe the firm.

What does a New York-session pass through this checklist look like?

• Before the US cash open: remaining daily-loss and trailing buffer copied from the dashboard.
• Contract choice: MNQ until buffer is large enough that one NQ tick cluster cannot breach the trail — sized with tick values, not a round lot habit.
• After each trade: screenshot, R, New York tag, and updated remaining room.
• End of day: did one trade dominate? If the firm has a consistency type, check it there, not in a guess.