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Do I Need to Pass an Eval for Topstep?
Yes. Topstep requires every trader to pass their Trading Combine before receiving a funded account. There is no way to skip it — the Combine is how Topstep verifies you can trade profitably within their risk rules.
If you're new to prop firms, this is the part that catches people off guard. Unlike a traditional brokerage where you deposit capital and trade immediately, Topstep is a funded trading program — they put up the capital, so they need to verify you can manage risk before giving you access to real money. That verification is the Trading Combine.
The good news: the Combine is actually very passable if you approach it systematically. And with an automated Pine Script strategy, you remove the emotional variables that cause most traders to fail.
What is the Topstep Trading Combine?
The Trading Combine is Topstep's evaluation account. You subscribe to it monthly, trade as if it were a real account, and if you hit the profit target without breaking any rules, Topstep moves you to a funded account where you keep 90% of profits.
| Rule | 25k Account | 50k Account | 100k Account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $1,500 | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Daily loss limit | Optional account setting — not a standard Combine rule | ||
| Maximum Loss Limit | $1,500 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Drawdown type | EOD Trailing — moves at end of day only, locks once it reaches your starting balance | ||
| Consistency rule | 50% Consistency Target — best single day ≤ 50% of Profit Target | ||
| Min trading days | None — Topstep says as few as 2 sessions is possible | ||
| Automation allowed | Yes | ||
| Monthly cost | $49 | $99 | $149 |
| Payout split (funded) | 90% to trader | ||
How the Combine works step by step
Purchase a Combine subscription. Choose your account size (25k, 50k, or 100k). The 50k is the most popular — it costs $99/month and has a $3,000 profit target with a $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit.
Trade the simulated account. You get access to a Tradovate paper account mirroring your chosen size. Trade it exactly as you would a live account — your job is to hit the profit target while staying inside the Maximum Loss Limit and the 50% Consistency Target.
Hit the profit target. There's no minimum number of trading days — Topstep says as few as 2 sessions is possible — and no maximum, so you can take as long as you need. Most traders with a consistent strategy still pass the 50k in 10–25 trading days, since spreading profit across more sessions is the easiest way to satisfy the 50% Consistency Target.
Get funded. Once you hit the target and satisfy all rules, Topstep reviews your account and moves you to a funded account. You then trade with real Topstep capital and keep 90% of your profits.
The two rules that fail most traders
1. The Maximum Loss Limit
The $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) on the 50k Combine is an end-of-day (EOD) trailing drawdown — it only moves when you close a day at a higher balance. Unrealized intraday gains don't affect it. This is more forgiving than Apex's intraday trailing, but it still catches traders who let losing sessions compound over multiple days.
On the 50k Combine: you start with a $50,000 balance and a $48,000 floor ($2,000 cushion). If you close a day at $50,400, your new floor becomes $48,400. The floor keeps trailing up like this until your highest closed EOD equity reaches $52,000 (starting balance plus the $2,000 trail) — at that point the floor has reached your $50,000 starting balance and locks there permanently, regardless of how much further your equity climbs. That's a different, earlier point than the $53,000 Profit Target itself.
Topstep's standard Combine has no mandatory Daily Loss Limit — the MLL above is the universal rule. Some traders opt into Topstep's optional Daily Loss Limit as a personal risk control; if you do, set your Pine Script's internal kill switch a buffer below whatever figure you configured, to absorb slippage and execution latency on the final exit.
2. The 50% Consistency Target
Your best single day of profit can't exceed 50% of your Profit Target — on the 50k Combine ($3,000 target), that's a $1,500 ceiling on any one day. Go over it and the Combine doesn't fail outright, but your Profit Target increases, meaning you now need to earn more to pass. This is the rule that actually catches most discretionary traders swinging for a home-run day; a systematic strategy that fires a few signals per session and exits at a fixed target tends to clear it by default.
Can you use automation to pass the Topstep Combine?
Yes — and it's the best approach for most traders. Topstep explicitly permits automated trading during both the Combine and on funded accounts. The standard setup is:
TradingView Pine Script → TradersPost webhook → Tradovate
Your Pine Script generates entry and exit signals. TradingView sends those signals as webhook alerts to TradersPost, which routes the orders to your Tradovate Combine account. Everything is automated — you don't need to watch the screen or manage trades manually.
Automation removes the two biggest failure modes: emotional overtrading after a loss, and missing the daily limit because you were "just trying to make back" a down day. The script follows the rules. Every session.
Ready to automate your Topstep Combine?
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What happens if you fail the Combine?
If you breach the Maximum Loss Limit or let a single day exceed 50% of your accumulated profit (the Consistency Target), your Combine resets. You can purchase a new subscription and start over. Topstep occasionally offers free resets as promotional offers — check their site before paying for a new one.
This is why risk management inside your strategy is non-negotiable. A single reckless session on a news day can wipe an otherwise successful Combine. If you've opted into Topstep's optional Daily Loss Limit, redundant protection — a script kill switch set below your configured limit and the Tradovate platform risk control itself — is the correct setup.
Topstep vs other prop firms — do they all require an eval?
Yes. Every major futures prop firm requires some form of evaluation before funding. The differences are in the structure:
| Firm | Eval type | Drawdown type | Automation on funded? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep | Trading Combine (subscription) | EOD Trailing | Yes |
| Apex Trader Funding | Evaluation (subscription) | Intraday Trailing | Yes |
| MyFundedFutures | Evaluation (one-time fee) | Static | Yes |
| Bulenox | Evaluation (subscription) | EOD Trailing | Yes |
| FTMO | 2-phase challenge | Static | Coded strategies only |
Topstep's EOD trailing drawdown makes it one of the more forgiving evaluations for algo traders, compared to Apex's tick-by-tick intraday trailing. If you want to compare them directly, see our Apex vs Topstep breakdown.
FAQ
Do I need to pass an evaluation to get funded by Topstep?
Yes. The Trading Combine is required before any funded account. There is no way to skip it. Topstep's funded accounts are only accessible after you demonstrate you can trade profitably within their rules — the Maximum Loss Limit and the 50% Consistency Target.
How long does the Topstep Combine take?
No minimum number of trading days — Topstep's own help center confirms it can be passed in as few as 2 sessions — and no maximum. Most traders with a consistent automated strategy still complete the 50k Combine in 10–25 trading days, since spreading profit across more sessions is the easiest way to stay under the 50% Consistency Target.
Can I use an automated strategy to pass the Topstep Combine?
Yes. Topstep explicitly allows automated trading on both the Combine and funded accounts. TradingView Pine Script with TradersPost and Tradovate is the standard stack. Your strategy must comply with all Topstep rules — especially the Maximum Loss Limit and the 50% Consistency Target — from within the automation logic itself.
What happens if I fail the Topstep Combine?
Your Combine resets. You purchase a new subscription to start over. Topstep runs reset promotions periodically — check before paying. If you've opted into Topstep's optional Daily Loss Limit, building an internal script kill switch below that limit as a backstop is essential — redundant protection prevents accidental breaches on volatile days.