Pine Script Strategy · Pro Plan
NQ Pine Script Strategy for Prop Firm Evaluations
NQ is the highest-volatility, highest-payout futures contract for prop firm trading. One point = $20. At 100k–150k account sizes, the math works in your favor — but only if the strategy respects the risk rules. Ours does: +$205,740 backtested across 226 trades, 62.4% win rate, profit factor 1.36.
Why NQ for prop firm evals — the volatility edge
NQ averages 200–400 index points of intraday range. At $20 per point, that's $4,000–$8,000 of movement per contract per day. No other CME futures product offers that combination of liquidity and dollar range at a tradeable margin level for prop firm accounts.
For 100k–150k prop firm accounts, this means meaningful profit targets are achievable in 1–3 trades. You don't need to run a machine-gun strategy firing 20 signals a day. The 15-minute RTH strategy takes 1–4 trades per session, each targeting 1.9R. On 2 NQ contracts, a single clean win at a 40-tick stop is $800 profit. Four wins in a week is $3,200 — enough to make meaningful progress on a 100k Apex or Topstep eval in under two weeks of clean trading.
Compare that to MNQ: same chart, same signals, but $2/point instead of $20. MNQ is the right choice for 50k accounts learning the strategy. NQ is the right choice when you want the full dollar output of the Nasdaq-100 contract behind every signal.
The tradeoff: NQ margin is significant (~$16,000–$20,000 per contract), and daily limits matter more at this dollar-per-point level. The natural pairing is a 100k account with no daily loss limit — Apex 100k or Tradeify Growth 100k. At those tiers, 2 NQ contracts with a 40-tick ATR stop keeps per-trade risk at $400, well inside normal prop firm risk management.
The NQ RTH 15-min strategy — how it works
The strategy runs on the 15-minute NQ chart during Regular Trading Hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET). It uses a VWAP direction filter combined with a momentum entry signal. Longs only fire above VWAP; shorts only fire below VWAP. Entry confirms on bar close — no intrabar fills that look different live versus backtest.
VWAP Direction Filter
Longs require price above VWAP. Shorts require price below VWAP. Keeps the strategy on the right side of institutional flow.
ATR-Calibrated Stop
Stop is ATR-based, min 20 ticks ($100/contract), max 55 ticks ($275/contract). Adapts to NQ's daily volatility without fixed-dollar hardcoding.
1.9R Target + Trail
Profit target at 1.9× the stop. Breakeven moves to entry at 1.0R. Trail activates at 1.4R — locks in partial profit on extended moves.
Daily Kill Switch
Max 4 trades per session. Configurable daily loss cap stops new entries if the session goes against you — essential on any NQ account.
Prop firm sizing for NQ — account by account
| Firm | Account | Daily Limit | Contracts | Stop | Risk/Trade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 100k | None | 2 NQ | 40 ticks | $400 |
| Apex | 150k | None | 3 NQ | 40 ticks | $600 |
| Topstep | 100k | $2,000 | 1 NQ | 35 ticks | $350 |
| FTMO | 100k | $1,000 | 1 NQ | 25 ticks | $250 |
| Tradeify Growth | 100k | None | 2 NQ | 40 ticks | $400 |
| MyFundedFutures | 100k | $2,000 | 1 NQ | 30 ticks | $300 |
Which prop firms work best with NQ
Apex Trader Funding — 100k / 150k
Apex is the top pick for NQ. No daily loss limit on any account tier means the 15-min strategy can take all 4 signals in a session without a circuit breaker cutting it off. The intraday trailing drawdown on Apex does require clean exits — the 1.9R target and breakeven-at-1R structure handles this well. 2 NQ contracts on a 100k account keeps the 30-day profit target achievable in 10–15 trading days of consistent performance.
Topstep 100k
Topstep's $2,000 daily loss limit on 100k keeps NQ sizing to 1 contract safely. The big advantage: EOD trailing drawdown. NQ's wide intraday swings don't move the drawdown floor — only closed session equity does. A trade that runs to +$500 intraday then closes at +$200 raises your floor by $200, not $500. For a 15-min strategy with normal NQ intraday volatility, this is significantly more forgiving than Apex's intraday trail.
FTMO
FTMO uses the NAS100 cash instrument rather than CME NQ futures — same chart, slightly different contract specs ($1/point on some configurations vs $20 on CME NQ). The $1,000 daily limit on a 100k account is tight for NQ. 1 contract with a 25-tick stop ($250 risk) is the viable configuration. FTMO is viable but not the optimal NQ pairing.
Tradeify Growth 100k
No daily loss limit on the Growth eval path. EOD trailing drawdown (same advantage as Topstep). 2 NQ at 40 ticks is workable. Lower name recognition than Apex but rules are genuinely algo-friendly.
NQ vs MNQ — when to use which
| NQ (Pro Plan — $80) | MNQ (Starter Plan — $50) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar per point | $20 | $2 |
| Typical account size | 100k–150k | 50k |
| Risk per trade (40-tick stop, 2 contracts) | $400 | $40 |
| Chart / signals | Identical | Identical |
| Best firm pairing | Apex 100k, Topstep 100k | Apex 50k, MFFU 50k |
| Margin per contract | ~$16,000–$20,000 | ~$1,600–$2,000 |
If you're running a 50k eval, start with MNQ. The chart is identical — you'll see every signal the NQ strategy sees. When you step up to a 100k account, switch to NQ and keep the same strategy. Nothing changes except the dollar output per point.
Backtested performance breakdown
Backtested on TradingView using 2024–2026 data, 15-min NQ, RTH session only with $1.20 commission and 2-tick slippage per side baked in.
- Net profit: +$205,740
- Total trades: 226
- Win rate: 62.4%
- Profit factor: 1.36 (for every $1 lost, $1.36 is made)
- Average trades per session: 2–3 on active trend days
What the 62.4% win rate at 1.9R target means in practice: even at a 50% win rate this strategy has positive expected value (1.9R target vs 1R stop = profit at anything above 34.5% win rate). The 62.4% win rate is well above that threshold — the strategy has meaningful cushion against variance.
Get the NQ Pine Script strategy — Pro plan, $80 one-time.
+$205,740 backtested. 62.4% win rate. 15-min RTH, VWAP filter, ATR stop, daily kill switch. Pine Script file + PDF guide, instant email delivery.
Buy Pro Plan — $80 Need MNQ instead?Frequently asked questions
What is an NQ Pine Script strategy?
NQ is the Nasdaq-100 E-mini futures contract ($20/point). A Pine Script strategy codes entry, stop, and exit rules on TradingView and fires alerts when conditions are met. Those alerts route to TradersPost, which places the order on your Tradovate or Rithmic account at your prop firm — no manual clicking required.
Is NQ good for 100k prop firm accounts?
Yes. At $20/point, NQ's typical 200–400 point daily range gives 2 contracts enough room to hit meaningful profit targets in 1–3 trades. On a 100k Apex account (no daily limit), 2 NQ contracts at a 40-tick ATR stop is $400 per-trade risk — under 0.5% of account per trade, which is conservative prop firm sizing. The 1.9R target at 2 contracts is $760 per winning trade.
What prop firms allow NQ trading?
All major futures prop firms permit NQ: Apex Trader Funding, Topstep, MyFundedFutures, Tradeify, Bulenox, TradeDay, and Funded Next. FTMO uses the NAS100 cash instrument rather than CME NQ futures — the chart is the same, the strategy logic applies, but contract specs differ slightly. The PDF guide included with the Pro plan covers firm-specific sizing for each.
What is the difference between NQ and MNQ Pine Script strategies?
Same chart, same signals, different dollar output. NQ = $20/point. MNQ = $2/point (one-tenth). The Pro plan ($80) covers NQ for 100k–150k accounts. The Starter plan ($50) covers MNQ for 50k accounts. If you want to practice the strategy on a 50k eval before committing to a 100k account, start with MNQ — the trading logic is identical.
Can I run this on Apex without a daily loss limit concern?
Yes. Apex Trader Funding has no daily loss limit on any evaluation tier, which is one of the main reasons it pairs well with NQ strategies. The intraday trailing drawdown still applies — the 1.9R target and breakeven-at-1R structure in this strategy is specifically designed to lock in gains before the trail can tighten against you.