Pick a firm and pass the eval · Stage 2 · Free
Every funded futures evaluation platform shows five metrics when you log in: account balance, trailing drawdown floor, daily loss limit remaining, cumulative profit toward the target, and best-day percentage. Most traders look at one or two and open the platform. The five-metric pre-session check is the habit that prevents the avoidable session failures — the DLL breach from not noticing the limit was already partially consumed, the consistency rule violation from not checking the best-day percentage before a session that ran well, the over-sized position from using yesterday's DTF in today's calculation. The dashboard does not tell you what to do. Knowing what each field means and how they connect tells you.
Part 1 of 4 — The five dashboard metrics
Some platforms display all five on a single summary card. Others scatter them across tabs or require you to navigate to a separate metrics page. Regardless of layout, these are the five numbers you need before the session starts and what each one is answering.
Account balance is the total current value of the evaluation account, including all closed trades. On most platforms it updates in real time to reflect unrealized P&L on any open positions. The balance is one half of the calculation that gives you the metric you actually need: trailing drawdown floor distance. On its own, the balance tells you whether the account has grown or declined from the starting value, but not how close it is to the floor that closes the evaluation.
Watch the balance in the context of the trailing drawdown floor, not in isolation. A balance of $52,400 on a $50,000 account that started with a $2,500 trailing drawdown means the floor has advanced — the relevant question is not whether the balance is above the starting value, but whether the distance from the current balance to the current floor is enough to support the session's position size.
The trailing drawdown floor is the minimum account value the evaluation allows. If the balance reaches or falls below the floor, the evaluation is closed. The floor starts at the initial evaluation amount minus the trailing drawdown distance (for example, $50,000 starting balance on a $2,500 trailing drawdown account has an initial floor of $47,500). The floor advances upward as the balance grows — on an EOD account, it advances once at session close; on an intraday account, it advances continuously as unrealized gains accumulate in open positions.
Some dashboards label this field "trailing stop level," "minimum account value," or "hard stop." Regardless of label, it is the floor. The trailing drawdown floor is the most important single number on the dashboard because it determines the position sizing ceiling for the entire session. See trailing drawdown explained for how the floor advances, the EOD vs intraday distinction, and how unrealized gains affect it differently under each type.
Daily loss limit remaining is the dollar amount the account can lose from the current session reference point before the platform suspends trading for the day. It is not the same as the trailing drawdown floor distance. The DLL is a session-level constraint that resets each trading day; the trailing drawdown floor is a cumulative account-level constraint that advances over the life of the evaluation. Both apply simultaneously — either one can end the session or the evaluation if breached.
Dashboards typically show DLL remaining as a dollar amount (how much is left) rather than the original DLL value (how much you started with). The remaining amount may differ from the full DLL at session open if the platform calculates the DLL from a reference price that moved during the previous session's settlement, or if a trade that closed at or after the DLL reset triggered a partial consumption. Always verify the remaining amount, not just the original limit, before calculating session risk. See daily loss limit explained for how the reset and breach mechanics work.
Cumulative profit toward the profit target shows the total net closed P&L accumulated during the evaluation relative to the profit target required to pass. If the profit target is $3,000 and the dashboard shows $1,800 cumulative profit, you need $1,200 more in closed sessions before the profit gate is met. This metric does not include unrealized gains in open positions at most platforms — the profit target is typically evaluated on closed trade results only.
Cumulative profit toward target is the metric that tells you whether this session can close the evaluation. If the remaining gap is smaller than your average session P&L, the evaluation is in the final pacing phase — the consistency rule and minimum trading days gates may now be the binding constraints, not the profit target. See how long to pass a funded futures evaluation for the calculation that identifies which gate closes last and how to pace the final qualifying sessions.
Best-day percentage is the proportion of the evaluation's total cumulative profit that came from the single best session. At a 30% consistency rule threshold, today's session must not push the best-day percentage above 30% — meaning the profit from today's best session must stay below 30% of the cumulative evaluation total at the end of today's session. If the best-day percentage is already close to the threshold, today's session has a profit cap before the consistency rule becomes a binding constraint.
Some dashboards display best-day percentage as a formatted percentage. Others show only the raw session P&L history, requiring the calculation manually: largest single-session profit divided by cumulative total profit. The distinction between these presentations matters: if your dashboard does not surface best-day percentage directly, you need to calculate it from the session log before every session, not just when you suspect a large day is coming. See the consistency rule walkthrough for worked examples of how the best-day percentage moves across a 10-day evaluation and the session-by-session formula for keeping it below the threshold.
Part 2 of 4 — Reading the trailing drawdown metrics
Whether the dashboard displays DTF directly or requires a subtraction, this number determines the maximum size for every trade in today's session before any other factor applies.
DTF stands for drawdown to floor — the distance between the current balance and the trailing drawdown floor. When this field is labeled and displayed, read it directly. When the dashboard shows only the balance and the floor separately, subtract: balance minus trailing drawdown floor equals DTF. A $50,000 account with a $2,500 trailing drawdown that has grown to a $52,200 balance and a $49,700 floor has a DTF of $2,500 — the floor has not yet advanced because the starting $2,500 gap remains unchanged. If the same account grew to $53,000 balance with a $50,500 floor (the $2,500 gap has moved up with the balance), the DTF is still $2,500. The DTF is always the current gap, regardless of how much the floor has advanced from the starting position.
The DTF matters because it is one of the two inputs to the position sizing formula. A smaller DTF means smaller allowed position size. Confirming the exact DTF before the first trade prevents the common error of using yesterday's DTF in today's calculation — particularly on accounts where the floor advanced during a profitable prior session.
On an EOD trailing drawdown account, the floor advances only at session close. The DTF you read at session open is accurate for the entire session — a favorable intraday move in an open position does not reduce the DTF until the position is closed and the session settles. This means the DTF-based position size ceiling is stable throughout the session.
On an intraday trailing drawdown account, the floor advances in real time as unrealized gains accumulate in open positions. The DTF you read at session open is accurate for only the first trade or until an open position moves meaningfully in your favor. When a position goes $400 in your favor while still open, the floor has already advanced $400 — the DTF is now $400 smaller, and the position size ceiling for the next trade is proportionally smaller, even before the first trade closes. On an intraday account, recalculate the DTF from the live balance and floor before each new trade entry, particularly after a session where the first trade has moved significantly in your favor. See how funded futures firm rules actually differ for the full EOD vs intraday comparison and how the difference changes the pre-session formula inputs.
A DTF equal to the original trailing drawdown distance means the floor has advanced at the same rate as the balance — the account has grown without compressing the safety margin. A DTF smaller than the original trailing drawdown distance means the floor has advanced faster than the balance, typically because the account experienced a drawdown sequence that reduced the balance while the floor remained anchored at its highest point. A compressed DTF does not disqualify trading, but it reduces the allowed position size and requires the session's first trade to succeed at a smaller size before any sizing adjustment is appropriate.
There is no "correct" DTF — the original trailing drawdown distance is the starting condition, not the goal. An account that has grown significantly from its starting balance may show a DTF that is several hundred dollars larger than the original distance if the balance has outpaced the floor. The DTF at any given session is simply the current safety margin, and the sizing formula uses whatever that number is without requiring it to match the original.
Part 3 of 4 — Reading the consistency metrics
The consistency rule operates backward: you only know if today's session violated it after it is over. The best-day percentage is the forward-looking signal that tells you how much today can earn before it becomes the best day.
The daily profit stop is the session profit level at which you stop adding to the day's P&L — not because the position is stopped, but because adding more profit would push the best-day percentage toward or above the consistency rule threshold. The formula depends on the threshold your firm uses.
At a 30% threshold, the daily profit stop is approximately: total current cumulative profit × 0.28. Multiplying by 0.28 rather than 0.30 leaves a small margin below the threshold so a partial fill or slippage on the exit does not accidentally breach the cap. At a 25% threshold, use × 0.23. At a 40% threshold, use × 0.37. If today's session already has a running profit, the daily profit stop applies to the session's additional profit from the current moment — not as a reset. If you are already at $300 and the stop is $400, the remaining additional profit before stopping is $100, not $400. See funded futures daily profit stop for the pre-session × 0.28 calculation applied to a working example and the three edge cases that require adjusting the formula.
If the best-day percentage is already at 28% on a 30% threshold account, the current best session is already very close to the limit. Any session that earns more than the current best session will not move the best-day percentage — it will simply become the new best session and the percentage will change based on the new numerator. What matters is whether any session has accumulated a proportion of the cumulative total that approaches the threshold.
The most constrained scenario is when the evaluation is early-stage and one session was significantly better than the others. A first session that earned $500 out of a cumulative total of $1,400 leaves a best-day percentage of 35.7% — already above the 30% threshold. The evaluation cannot close at $1,400 cumulative total; it must continue accumulating until the $500 session represents less than 30% of a larger cumulative total ($500 ÷ 0.30 = $1,667 minimum cumulative). Today's daily profit stop must be designed to grow the cumulative total without creating a new best-day that resets the denominator problem at a higher value.
The cumulative profit toward target answers a different question than the best-day percentage: not "am I constrained today" but "how many sessions remain before the profit gate closes?" Late in an evaluation, this metric determines whether today is a closing candidate. If cumulative profit is $2,800 toward a $3,000 target, today's session needs only $200 more in net closed P&L to meet the profit gate. But meeting the profit gate does not close the evaluation if the minimum trading days gate or consistency rule gate has not also been met.
In the final phase of an evaluation, check all three gates simultaneously before each session: profit remaining versus average session P&L (how many sessions at current rate), minimum trading days remaining (how many qualifying sessions still required), and best-day percentage versus threshold (whether any of the final sessions need a profit cap to stay below the consistency rule). See how evaluation trailing drawdown works for how the floor advances toward the profit target simultaneously with the balance — a dynamic that tightens the DTF as the evaluation nears its close.
Part 4 of 4 — The pre-session check sequence
The order matters because the output of one check becomes the input to the next. Running them out of sequence produces the wrong inputs to the sizing formula or misses the consistency check that should modify the session plan.
Read the trailing drawdown floor and the current balance. Calculate DTF (balance minus floor). If the platform shows DTF directly, verify it matches the subtraction — platform displays occasionally lag during settlement. The DTF sets the first input to the position sizing formula: DTF ÷ 10 = maximum per-trade risk from the trailing drawdown constraint. On an intraday trailing drawdown account, note that this number will need to be recalculated from the live dashboard before each trade entry during the session. On an EOD account, this number is fixed for the session.
Read the daily loss limit remaining. Calculate the DLL input: DLL remaining ÷ 4 = maximum per-trade risk from the daily loss limit constraint. Compare the two inputs: DTF ÷ 10 and DLL ÷ 4. The lower of the two is the maximum per-trade risk for today's session. Use this number with the instrument's per-contract tick value to determine the maximum number of contracts at the widest stop-loss distance you plan to use today. See funded futures position sizing for the full formula applied across account tiers and instruments.
After calculating the size from DLL ÷ 4, confirm that the DLL remaining shown is actually the full limit and not a partially consumed amount from an unusual session-settlement scenario. Most platforms reset the DLL cleanly each session, but a trade that closed late relative to the platform's settlement time can occasionally leave a partial DLL consumption that carries into the next session. If DLL remaining is significantly less than the stated daily loss limit for the account, calculate the session risk from the reduced remaining amount rather than the full stated limit.
Read the best-day percentage or calculate it from the session history (largest single session ÷ cumulative total). Compare to the firm's consistency rule threshold. If the best-day percentage is at or near the threshold, note that today's session cannot earn more than the current best session before consistency math may become a constraint. Calculate the daily profit stop: cumulative total profit × 0.28 (for 30% threshold) minus any already-earned session P&L today. This is the additional profit the session can add before reaching the cap. If today's session P&L is already at zero, the full formula amount applies. If any P&L has already accumulated, subtract it from the cap before starting the next trade.
Read cumulative profit toward the target. Calculate how much more closed P&L the evaluation needs to meet the profit gate. If the remaining amount is within one session's expected range, check minimum trading days remaining — does the evaluation require additional qualifying sessions beyond today even if the profit gate is met today? If minimum days require additional sessions, pace today's session to earn at formula-correct size without rushing to hit the profit target. The evaluation closes when all three gates are simultaneously met — not when the first gate closes. The dashboard metrics give you the status of the profit gate directly; the minimum days field gives you the session count gate; the best-day percentage gives you the consistency gate. All three must be green before the evaluation can close.
The trailing drawdown floor distance (DTF) is the difference between your current account balance and the trailing drawdown floor. Some dashboards display DTF directly as a labeled field. Others only show the balance and the floor separately, requiring you to subtract: balance minus floor equals DTF. On an intraday trailing drawdown account, this number changes throughout the session as unrealized gains in open positions advance the floor in real time. On an EOD trailing drawdown account, the floor updates at session close so the DTF you see at session open remains accurate for the entire session.
Daily loss limit remaining is how much the account can lose from the current point before the platform stops trading for the session. Most platforms display this as a dollar amount — for example, $500 remaining on a $1,000 DLL means the account has already lost $500 toward the limit. Some platforms reset the DLL from the account balance at session open; others reset from a fixed daily reset price. The DLL remaining is a ceiling on total session loss, not on individual trade loss — a single trade that loses $600 on a $500 remaining DLL will close the session, regardless of position size intent.
Best-day percentage is the largest single-session profit divided by the total evaluation profit. If your dashboard shows your largest session as $600 and cumulative profit as $2,100, your best-day percentage is $600 divided by $2,100, which equals 28.6%. Most dashboards display this metric directly once the consistency rule is active. If yours does not, calculate it from the session P&L history by finding the largest positive session and dividing by the cumulative total. If the best-day percentage is approaching the firm's consistency rule threshold, that constrains how much you can earn in today's session before hitting the cap.
Not directly. The dashboard shows cumulative profit toward the target and a session count, but the remaining sessions calculation requires combining those with your average session P&L and the minimum trading days requirement. If the dashboard shows you need $1,200 more to hit the profit target and your average qualified session nets $200, you have approximately 6 sessions left on the profit-target gate. But if your minimum trading days requirement has 10 qualifying sessions left, the minimum days gate closes later and determines the actual remaining sessions. The dashboard metrics give you the inputs; the calculation is in the timeline article.
Check in this order: first, the trailing drawdown floor distance to set your position size ceiling. Second, calculate the pre-session size using DTF divided by 10 and DLL divided by 4, then take the lower result. Third, check DLL remaining to confirm the session ceiling has not already been partially consumed. Fourth, check the best-day percentage against the consistency rule threshold to determine whether you need a daily profit stop today. Fifth, check cumulative profit toward the target to confirm whether this session can close the evaluation and whether you need to pace the final qualifying sessions. The order matters: sizing comes before profit targets, and consistency check comes before entering any trade.
Five metrics, one pre-session routine — reading the dashboard correctly before the first trade is the habit that prevents the avoidable evaluation failures.
Knowing what each dashboard metric means converts five separate numbers into one decision: whether to trade today, at what size, and with what profit cap. The method covers the calculation flow from dashboard open to first trade entry. First 100 founding seats at $19/mo — locked for life.