Consistency is Key
Consistency is one of the most important habits a Trader can build — and at Topstep, it's built into the process. A repeatable performance is what separates a passionate Trader from a profitable one, and our consistency objectives are designed to help you grow your account and start paying yourself. Depending on your account type, consistency works a little differently. This article explains:
Consistency Target in the Trading Combine
The Consistency Target measures a Trader's ability to make repeated profits while managing risk. To pass the Trading Combine, your single best day of profit must stay at or below 50% of your Profit Target. If your best day exceeds that threshold, your Profit Target increases, and you will need to earn more than the original Profit Target to pass.
How your best day works:
You can pass the Trading Combine in as little as 2 days
Your best day updates throughout the trading session as your P&L moves.
At 3:10 PM CT, that day's best‑day value locks into your trading history.
Once locked in, it cannot be changed.
A future trading day can still become your new best day if it exceeds the previous one, and it will lock at 3:10 PM CT on its own day.
A small buffer is built into the backend to account for market fluctuations, so you do not need to be exact to the penny. You can pass in as little as two days, as long as no single day exceeds 50% of your total profit and your Profit Target is met.
The Consistency Target applies only to the Trading Combine and is not a requirement for the Express Funded Account Standard or the Live Funded Account.
How It's Calculated
Calculation: Best Day Profit ÷ Overall Profit = Best Day % of Total Profit
50K Example: $1,200 Best Day ÷ $2,800 Overall = 43%
*This means you can meet the Consistency Target in as few as 2 days if each day is less than 50% of your total profits and the Profit Target is met!
What is the Recommended Best Day?
We recommend never exceeding the Best Day Recommendation in the table below to avoid a Profit Target increase.
Account Size | Profit Target | Best Day Recommendation |
50K | $3,000 | Less than $1,500 |
100K | $6,000 | Less than $3,000 |
150K | $9,000 | Less than $4,500 |
Losses and drawdowns do not reset your best day or your Consistency Target. The rule applies regardless of your current account balance.
Can I keep trading after hitting my Recommended Best Day?
Yes, you can — but exceeding your Recommended Best Day will increase your Profit Target, making it more difficult to pass the Trading Combine.
On TopstepX™, you can set a Personal Daily Profit Target to help you lock in your gains and avoid exceeding the Consistency Target.
You can set this up in under 30 seconds. Just log in to the platform, and:
Click the Settings gear.
Select Risk Settings.
Set your dollar amount and choose an action:
Do Nothing
Liquidate
Liquidate and Block
Click Save.
What if I have a losing day?
Losses do not reset your best day. If your best day is $1,500 but a losing day brings your overall profit down to $1,000, your best day is still $1,500. To find your new Profit Target, use this formula:
Best Day Profit ÷ 0.50 = Total Profit Needed
Example: $1,500 best day ÷ 0.50 = $3,000 Profit Target. Your Profit Target has not changed, but you now need to recover your losses and reach $3,000 in overall profit without letting any single day exceed $1,500.
If you make $2,000 on your next day, your best day becomes $2,000, and your new Profit Target becomes $4,000 — meaning you need $1,000 more than the original target to pass.
Express Funded Account Consistency
When activating an Express Funded Account (XFA), you choose between two options:
Express Funded Account Standard — standard payout rules (5 non-consecutive winning days of $150+)
Express Funded Account Consistency — includes a 40% Consistency Objective and allows payout eligibility in as few as 3 trading days
Once selected, the Express Funded Account type applies to that account and cannot be changed.
How the 40% Consistency Objective Works
Your largest single trading day must be no more than 40% of your total net profit during the payout window. Consistency is calculated on net profit, not gross profit.
To be eligible for a payout, you must also have a minimum of 3 trading days with at least one trade per day. How Is Express Funded Account Consistency Calculated?
XFA Consistency is calculated by comparing your largest single trading day to your total net profit during the payout window.
Calculation:
Your Consistency Percentage is calculated by dividing your largest single-day net profit by your total net profit for the payout window. That percentage must be 40% or less to remain payout eligible.
Largest Single-Day Net Profit ÷ Total Net Profit = Consistency Percentage
Example: $3,600 largest day ÷ $9,500 total net profit = 37.9% — objective met.
If your Consistency Percentage exceeds 40%, keep trading and earning net profit until it falls back below the threshold.
*This percentage is not rounded. Any result exceeding 40% does not qualify.
Tracking Your Consistency
Your dashboard updates in real time and displays your Consistency Percentage, total net profit, largest single-day profit, and payout eligibility status.
Does Consistency Reset After a Payout?
Yes. After a payout is requested, the calculation resets and applies only to profits earned in the new payout window. You must meet all eligibility requirements again before requesting another payout.
The new window begins on the trading day following the day your payout was requested. Any trades made on the same trading day as your payout request do not count toward your next Consistency Objective or payout eligibility — even if those trades occur after the request was submitted.
Example: If you request a payout on Monday, your new consistency window starts Tuesday. Profits from Monday — regardless of when during that day the payout was requested — do not carry over.
Example: You earn $15,000 across 3 days and request a $5,000 payout on day 3. Your account balance drops to $10,000. However, your consistency calculation resets to $0 — the $10,000 remaining in your account does not count as profit in your new payout window. You need to earn new profits starting the following trading day to begin working toward your next payout.