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Funded futures evaluation agreements define which instruments may be traded and when. Neither restriction is fully enforced in real time by the platform on every order — the platform processes orders against its technical configuration, which is not always identical to every clause in the agreement. The firm's post-pass audit compares the clearing firm's timestamp and instrument records directly against the agreement. Trades that the platform accepted without an alert can appear as violations in that audit. Understanding which instrument categories are most frequently excluded and which trading-hour windows are most commonly restricted is the prerequisite for building a pre-session compliance check that catches both categories before they become a problem.
Part 1 of 3 — Why these two categories appear most in post-pass audits
The gap between what the platform enforces and what the evaluation agreement requires is not a platform failure — it is a structural feature of how evaluation platforms are built. The platform enforces the rules it is technically configured to enforce. The evaluation agreement contains every rule the firm applies. When those two sets do not perfectly overlap, the firm's post-pass audit is the reconciliation step.
An evaluation platform's order-management system checks the rules it is configured to enforce: daily loss limit, trailing drawdown floor, maximum contract count, and profit target. These are the rules that require real-time enforcement because a breach in any of them is immediately consequential — the position is flat, the account is locked, or the evaluation fails. Agreement clauses that require after-the-fact verification — which instrument was traded, what the exact timestamp was relative to a session window — are not the kind of rules the platform enforces at the order level. They require access to clearing records, not platform configuration.
The result is that an order the platform accepts may still be a rule violation. The platform's acceptance behavior in the moment is not a compliance confirmation. The evaluation agreement is the compliance standard, and it is verified by the firm independently — against clearing records, not against what the platform's order screen showed.
The firm's post-pass audit sources its data from the clearing firm, not from the evaluation platform's display. Clearing records show the exact instrument identifier in standard contract notation, the exact entry and exit timestamps in UTC, and the exact session windows for each trading day according to the exchange's records. When those records are compared to the evaluation agreement's allowed-instruments list and allowed-hours definition, any trade that falls outside those parameters appears as a finding — with exact contract code and timestamp, not the platform's display name or local time.
This matters for instrument compliance because the platform's display name may not match the contract identifier in the clearing record. A platform that displays "Micro E-mini S&P 500" is trading /MES in the clearing system. If the evaluation agreement allows /ES and the audit record shows /MES, the instrument compliance check fails regardless of what the platform displayed. It matters for hours compliance because the platform's local time display may not match the exchange-reported timestamp in UTC. A trade placed at 9:28 AM Eastern is 14:28 UTC — a timestamp that falls within the pre-market window if the agreement defines allowed hours as RTH start (9:30 AM Eastern / 14:30 UTC). See why funded futures evaluation passes get rejected for how post-hoc rule breaches fit into the broader set of post-pass rejection triggers.
Because instrument compliance and trading-hours compliance are both defined by the evaluation agreement before the evaluation begins, the verification step is a pre-evaluation and pre-session check — not a real-time monitor during trading. The allowed-instruments list does not change during the evaluation. The allowed-hours definition does not change during the evaluation. Both can be read once at the start and converted into a two-item pre-session checklist that takes less than thirty seconds to complete before the first trade each day.
The prerequisite for that checklist is accurate source data: the exact allowed-instruments list and the exact allowed-hours window from the evaluation agreement, not from the firm's website FAQ or the platform's displayed settings. Both sources may describe the policy in approximate terms; only the evaluation agreement is authoritative. See how funded futures firm rules actually differ for the rule categories that vary most between evaluation structures and firms — instrument lists and allowed-hours definitions are two of the three categories where firm-to-firm variation is largest.
Part 2 of 3 — Prohibited instruments
The evaluation platform's tradeable instrument universe is typically much broader than any single evaluation's allowed list. The platform enables trading across the firm's full instrument lineup; the evaluation agreement narrows that to a specific subset. The instruments that appear in post-pass audits most often are not obscure — they are instruments that regularly appear in the same platform windows as the allowed instruments and are traded without realizing they are outside the permitted list.
Most evaluation agreements define a list of permitted instruments. Any instrument not on that list is prohibited — not because the agreement explicitly excludes it, but because the permission model grants access only to what is listed. If the agreement lists /ES, /NQ, /CL, and /GC, those four are permitted. /YM, /RTY, /NG, /SI, and every other instrument the platform makes available are not permitted — because they are not on the list, not because they are specifically called out as prohibited.
This distinction is important because traders frequently interpret the absence of an explicit prohibition as implied permission. The opt-in model does not work that way. If an instrument is not on the allowed list, do not trade it during the evaluation regardless of whether the platform shows it as available or whether the firm's website FAQ describes it in general terms as tradeable. Verify against the evaluation agreement's specific list, not against any other source. The guide to the best futures instruments for funded accounts covers which instruments are most commonly permitted and why — useful cross-reference when reviewing what the evaluation agreement includes.
Bitcoin futures (/BTC) and Micro Bitcoin futures (/MBT) are listed on the CME and are tradeable on platforms that connect to CME Globex. Ether futures (/ETH) and Micro Ether futures (/MET) are similarly available. Most funded futures evaluation agreements restrict the allowed instruments to equity index futures and commodity futures — and do not include crypto futures, even when those instruments are technically available on the same platform interface.
Some evaluation agreements explicitly exclude crypto instruments by name. Others simply do not include them in the allowed list — which has the same effect under the opt-in permission model. Before trading any crypto futures contract during a funded evaluation, verify by reading the allowed-instruments section of the agreement. If crypto contracts are not listed and the agreement does not provide written confirmation that they are permitted, do not trade them. This restriction applies specifically to futures contracts on crypto assets — not to spot crypto, which is a separate market and would generally not be available on a futures evaluation platform at all.
When an evaluation agreement lists /ES, the contract being permitted is the standard E-mini S&P 500 — the full-size contract with a multiplier of $50 per point. /MES is the Micro E-mini S&P 500 — one-tenth the size, with a multiplier of $5 per point. These are two different contract codes cleared as separate instruments. An evaluation agreement that lists /ES does not automatically permit /MES. An agreement that lists /MES does not automatically permit /ES. The allowed instrument is the specific contract code, not the underlying index.
This matters most for traders who use micro contracts to size down when managing risk. If the evaluation trades /ES at standard sizing but a trader sizes down by switching to /MES during a difficult session, and the agreement permits only /ES, the /MES trades are a rule violation. The same applies to /NQ vs /MNQ, /CL vs /MCL, and /GC vs /MGC. Before mixing standard and micro contract sizes during an evaluation, verify in the agreement that both tiers are listed. If only one tier is listed and you need to size down, size down by reducing contract count in the permitted tier — not by switching to the micro contract. See funded futures position sizing for the formula for managing contract count across different risk levels within a single permitted instrument tier.
Instrument compliance verification is a one-time check performed before the evaluation begins, not a per-trade check during trading. The process: open the evaluation agreement and find the allowed-instruments section. Copy or note every contract code or instrument description listed. Compare that list to every instrument you plan to trade during the evaluation. If any instrument you intend to use is not on the list, contact firm support before the evaluation starts and ask specifically whether that instrument is permitted during this evaluation. Request the response in writing — email or support ticket — so the confirmation is documented.
Do not rely on the platform's instrument availability, the firm's website FAQ, or general descriptions of the firm's tradeable universe. The evaluation agreement's allowed-instruments section is the only authoritative source. If the agreement is ambiguous — for example, it lists "E-mini contracts" without specifying whether micro contracts are included — ask for clarification in writing before trading any instrument that the language does not clearly permit. The written response protects against a post-pass audit finding for that instrument.
Part 3 of 3 — Restricted trading hours and the pre-session check
The pre-market window for equity index futures is the most common source of trading-hours violations in post-pass audits, because the Globex session for /ES and /NQ is fully functional starting at 6:00 PM Eastern the prior evening, the platform accepts orders throughout that window, and the evaluation agreement's restriction to RTH only is not enforced with a real-time alert when a pre-market order is placed.
Regular trading hours for U.S. equity index futures are defined by the CME as 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern, with the Globex continuous session running from 6:00 PM Eastern the prior evening to 5:00 PM Eastern the same day. Most funded futures evaluations that restrict to RTH define the allowed window using the 9:30 AM Eastern open. Some firms extend the allowed window to 8:30 AM Eastern to capture the pre-open futures session that includes economic data releases. Others restrict the window to RTH only with no pre-open allowance.
The pre-market window from 6:00 AM to 9:30 AM Eastern is the most frequently flagged window in post-pass audits for equity index futures evaluations. Trades placed in that window appear in clearing records with timestamps that predate the allowed open. The firm's audit applies the agreement's allowed-hours definition to those timestamps directly. If the agreement defines allowed hours as 9:30 AM Eastern or later, any trade with a 9:28 AM Eastern timestamp is a violation — two minutes earlier than the allowed open. The specific cut-off is in the evaluation agreement, and it is applied literally in the audit. See funded futures trading schedule for how to structure a session plan that respects RTH boundaries while incorporating economic data release timing.
The after-hours window for equity index futures — from the 4:00 PM Eastern close to the 6:00 PM Eastern Globex reopen — is typically restricted in evaluations that use an RTH-only window. The overnight Globex session — from 6:00 PM Eastern to 9:30 AM Eastern the following day — is also typically restricted under an RTH-only definition. For evaluations that specify "regular trading hours" without further definition, the clearing-record audit applies the standard RTH window (9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern) as the allowed interval.
For energy futures (/CL, /NG) and metals futures (/GC, /SI), the allowed hours are frequently defined differently. These instruments trade nearly 24 hours on Globex (from Sunday 6:00 PM Eastern to Friday 5:00 PM Eastern, with a daily maintenance halt from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Eastern). Many evaluation agreements that include energy and metals permit the full Globex session for those instruments while restricting equity index futures to RTH. Others apply a single allowed-hours window to all listed instruments. The evaluation agreement's allowed-hours section must be read per-instrument when the agreement lists multiple instrument categories — a single "regular hours only" clause may mean different windows for different instruments, or it may mean the same window for all. When the agreement is ambiguous, ask firm support for clarification in writing before trading outside RTH on any listed instrument.
A minority of evaluation agreements include additional restrictions around specific economic releases or news events — a no-trade window starting 5 minutes before and ending 5 minutes after major economic announcements such as NFP, FOMC decisions, or CPI releases. These restrictions are not standard across the industry; most evaluations do not include them. When they do appear, they are typically in the agreement's supplemental rules section or risk-management addendum rather than in the main allowed-hours definition.
If a firm's evaluation includes news-event restrictions, they apply regardless of whether the platform generates an alert during the restricted window. The verification step is the same: read the supplemental rules section of the evaluation agreement at the start of the evaluation, note any news-event restrictions, and add those windows to your pre-session reference. The guide to funded futures news events covers how economic releases affect DLL risk and session timing — the same framework applies when a news-event window restriction is part of the evaluation agreement.
Preventing instrument and trading-hours violations requires two yes/no questions added to the pre-session checklist. Both should be explicit checks with a required answer — not general reminders. The questions:
1. Is every instrument I plan to trade today on this evaluation's allowed list? — checked once per evaluation when adding a new instrument, and once at the start of each session if the instrument mix changes. The reference source is the instrument list copied from the evaluation agreement at the start of the evaluation, not the platform's available instruments display.
2. Is the current time within the allowed trading window for each instrument I plan to trade? — checked at the start of each session before the first order is placed. The reference source is the allowed-hours definition from the evaluation agreement, converted to a simple note showing the allowed open and close in your local time and in UTC. Both time zones are useful: local time for habit and UTC for comparison against clearing-record timestamps if a question arises later.
A practical format for the reference note: one line per instrument category, showing the allowed open time and close time in both local and UTC. For example: "/ES, /NQ — allowed 9:30 AM–4:00 PM ET (14:30–21:00 UTC). /CL, /GC — allowed 6:00 PM–5:00 PM ET Globex (23:00–22:00 UTC, daily halt 22:00–23:00 UTC)." The note is read once at the start of each session. The full funded futures evaluation dashboard guide describes the five-step pre-session check sequence; these two compliance questions fit into that sequence as a step before the first order is placed.
Most funded futures evaluations restrict trading to a specific list of instruments defined in the evaluation agreement. Instruments not on the list are prohibited regardless of whether the platform makes them available for trading. The categories most frequently excluded are: cryptocurrency futures (Bitcoin and Ether futures, even when listed on the CME), equity ETFs and leveraged ETFs (evaluations are typically futures-only), and — when the agreement specifies one tier — micro contracts when only standard contracts are listed or standard contracts when only micro contracts are listed. The verification step is reading the allowed-instruments section of the evaluation agreement before the evaluation starts and comparing every instrument you plan to trade against that list.
Not automatically. Some evaluation agreements list E-mini contracts broadly and include both the standard /ES and the micro /MES. Others list specific contract codes that exclude one tier. If the agreement says "/ES" without additional language specifying micro contract inclusion, the safest interpretation is that only the standard contract is permitted. Contact firm support before trading the micro version and ask for written confirmation that /MES is included under the /ES allowance. If the evaluation agreement is not explicit, that written response is your documentation that the instrument was permitted.
The evaluation platform's order-management system enforces the rules it is technically configured to enforce — which are not always identical to every clause in the evaluation agreement. Trading-hours restrictions are particularly prone to gaps between the platform's technical enforcement and the agreement's terms: the platform may not have a real-time check that fires when an order is placed in a pre-market window the firm's agreement excludes. The firm's post-pass audit uses timestamp records from the clearing firm — accurate to the second — and applies the agreement's allowed-hours definition to those records directly. An order the platform accepted without an alert can still appear as a violation in that audit. The platform's silence is not a compliance confirmation.
For equity index futures evaluations, the most common restriction is to regular trading hours only — 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern for /ES and /NQ. The pre-market window between 6:00 AM and 9:30 AM Eastern is frequently restricted, as is the after-hours window from 4:00 PM to 4:15 PM Eastern and the overnight Globex session. Some evaluations extend the allowed window to include the pre-open period starting at 8:30 AM Eastern to capture economic data releases; others do not. Energy and metals futures, when permitted, often have a broader allowed window than equity index futures because their underlying markets trade nearly 24 hours. The allowed-hours section of the specific evaluation agreement is the authoritative source.
If the evaluation is still in progress, stop trading the prohibited instrument or in the restricted window immediately. If the number of trades involved is small, contact firm support and ask how those trades will be handled in the post-pass review. Some firms apply a performance adjustment for rule-breach trades without voiding the entire evaluation; others treat any rule breach as a failed evaluation regardless of the pass status shown on the dashboard. Getting the firm's response in writing gives you accurate expectations before the review and documents any accommodation the firm agrees to in advance. If the evaluation has already passed and is in post-pass review, the guidance in the article on why evaluation passes get rejected covers how to respond when a post-hoc rule breach is identified during the firm's audit.
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