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Apex Scaling Plan Explained: Contract Scaling & the Safety Net

Updated July 2026 · ~7 min read

Apex Trader Funding's scaling plan - officially the contract scaling rule - is the rule most traders discover only after passing the evaluation. On a funded Performance Account you start with half your maximum contracts, and the full allowance unlocks only when your balance clears the safety net. Here's exactly how the math works and how to build it into an automated strategy.

The rule in one table (50k example)

The safety net formula: starting balance + trailing drawdown + $100. On a 50k account: $50,000 + $2,500 + $100 = $52,600. Reaching it does two things at once - the trailing drawdown floor locks (it stops following your equity up), and the half-contract limit lifts starting the next session.

Why Apex uses contract scaling

The rule exists to stop a freshly funded trader from swinging maximum size against a floor that sits only $2,500 away. At half contracts, the same losing streak that would breach a full-size account leaves the PA alive. From Apex's side it filters variance; from your side it forces the buffer-building phase most strategies should do anyway.

Building the scaling rule into a Pine Script strategy

1. Make size an input, not a constant

Hard-coded contract counts are the most common reason a passing eval strategy breaks its PA. Expose qty as an input so the same script runs the eval at full size and the PA at half size without editing code.

2. Respect the EOD check

The safety net is evaluated on end-of-day balance, not intraday equity. Tagging $52,650 intraday and closing at $52,400 does not unlock full contracts. Wait for a closed session above the threshold before stepping size up.

3. Recalculate your risk-per-trade at half size

Half contracts does not mean half risk headroom - the $2,500 trailing drawdown is unchanged. A 5-contract MNQ position with a 25-tick stop risks $250 per trade against the same floor. Our Apex trailing drawdown calculator shows exactly where your floor sits at any equity peak.

4. Pair it with the consistency rule

The scaling phase interacts with Apex's 30% consistency rule: while building toward the safety net, a single oversized day can lock up your payout eligibility even though it accelerates the unlock. A daily profit cap in the script solves both problems at once.

FAQ

What is the Apex scaling plan?

Apex's contract scaling rule limits funded (PA) accounts to half of their maximum contracts until the account reaches its safety net. On a 50k account with a 10-contract maximum, you can trade up to 5 contracts until your end-of-day balance reaches $52,600 - the starting balance plus the $2,500 trailing drawdown plus a $100 buffer. After that, the full 10 contracts unlock permanently.

What is the Apex safety net?

The safety net is the end-of-day balance at which your trailing drawdown floor locks and full contract size unlocks: starting balance + trailing drawdown amount + $100. On a 50k account that is $52,600. Once reached, the floor stops trailing and you keep full contracts even if the balance later dips below the threshold.

Does the scaling rule apply during the Apex evaluation?

No. The contract scaling rule applies to funded Performance Accounts, not evaluations. During the eval you may use the full contract allowance from day one. The half-contract restriction begins when you flip to the funded account and ends at the safety net.

How should an automated strategy handle Apex contract scaling?

Code your position size as an input variable and run the funded account at half size until the safety net is hit. A strategy passing the eval at 4 MES contracts should start the PA at 2. Since the threshold check is end-of-day, you can safely step the input up the session after your EOD balance clears the safety net.