Apex Performance Accounts (PAs) are designed to simulate live trading conditions, helping traders transition from evaluations to funded accounts. These accounts come with strict rules that focus on consistent performance, risk management, and disciplined trading. Key highlights include:
- Profit Targets: Vary by account size, ranging from $1,500 (for $25,000 accounts) to $20,000 (for $300,000 accounts).
- Consistency Rule: No single trading day can contribute more than 30% of your total profit when requesting payouts.
- Trailing Drawdown: Dynamically adjusts with your peak balance until it reaches a fixed Safety Net, providing flexibility as you grow.
- Trading Restrictions: Includes limits on contract scaling, banned strategies (e.g., high-frequency trading, hedging during news), and automation controls.
- Evaluation Phase: Requires meeting profit targets, staying within drawdown limits, and trading for at least 7 days.
- Account Resets: Available for a fee if rules are violated, offering a fresh start.
Core Rules and Requirements for Apex PA Accounts
Profit Targets and Profit Withdrawal Limits
Apex PA accounts come with specific profit targets that traders must hit to unlock account benefits. These targets vary based on the account size and act as benchmarks for consistent trading performance.
Here’s how the targets are structured:
| Account Size | Profit Target |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | $3,000 |
| $100,000 | $6,000 |
| $150,000 | $9,000 |
| $250,000 | $15,000 |
| $300,000 | $20,000 |
| $100,000 (static) | $2,000 |
Most accounts aim for about a 6% return, except for the static $100,000 account, which has a lower target of 2%. Hitting these goals is crucial for withdrawing profits and growing your trading account.
Apex also enforces a 30% Consistency Rule, which ensures that no single trading day contributes more than 30% of your total profit balance when requesting a payout. This policy encourages traders to focus on steady, sustainable strategies rather than relying on occasional big wins.
Now, let’s explore how Apex uses trailing drawdowns and other safeguards to protect your account.
Trailing Drawdown and Risk Management
The trailing drawdown is Apex’s key risk management tool, designed to adjust dynamically with your account’s highest unrealized balance. It starts at the liquidation threshold and follows your peak balance until it reaches a fixed point called the Safety Net.
The Safety Net is calculated as the initial account balance plus the drawdown limit, with an additional $100 added. For example:
- A $50,000 account has a Safety Net of $52,600.
- A $150,000 account has a Safety Net of $155,100.
Once your unrealized balance reaches the Safety Net, the trailing drawdown stops moving, giving you more flexibility in your trading. This system encourages disciplined trading while providing room for growth.
Apex also implements strict risk controls, including a 5:1 risk-reward ratio and a 30% negative PnL rule to limit losses. Risky behaviors like trading without stop losses or using maximum contract sizes to bypass the trailing drawdown are strictly prohibited.
To stay within these guidelines, traders should:
- Automate stop-loss and target orders.
- Plan exits for both profits and losses before entering trades.
- Use trailing stops to lock in gains as markets move in their favor.
Traders on probation face even stricter requirements, including mandatory hard stop-loss levels.
Trading Restrictions and Compliance
Apex PA accounts come with specific trading restrictions to promote professional, consistent trading habits. These include rules on contract limits, banned strategies, and risk management practices.
Contract scaling is a major restriction. Traders must initially trade with half of the allowed contracts until they reach the trailing threshold stop. For example, a $50,000 account with a maximum of 10 contracts allows up to 5 contracts initially. Once the account balance hits the Safety Net ($52,600 in this case), the trailing stop is removed, and traders can use the full contract limit.
"Apex values traders who take a strategic approach to their trades. We encourage thoughtful, deliberate decision-making and discourage erratic trading behaviors that can lead to unpredictable results."
Certain prohibited strategies are in place to maintain account integrity. These include:
- Bypassing contract limits by using combined instruments or micro contracts.
- High-frequency trading or contract flipping to meet daily minimums.
- Trading opposing directions with different contract sizes.
- Spread trading indices (e.g., going long on ES while shorting YM).
Automation restrictions are also strict. Fully automated, hands-off trading or continuous 24-hour systems are not allowed. Traders must remain actively involved in their trades.
During news events, additional rules apply. Traders can only hold positions in one direction – either long or short – preventing strategies like straddles or hedging during periods of high volatility.
"At Apex Trader Funding, responsible trading is at the core of our practices, and managing drawdowns is a crucial part of that."
- Apex Trader Funding
To stay compliant, traders should establish a systematic trading plan with clear rules for entries, stops, targets, and trailing stops. Regular monitoring of positions and exposure is essential, along with avoiding any strategies that might appear to circumvent the rules.
Evaluation and Account Progression
Meeting Evaluation Criteria
To pass the evaluation phase, traders must hit specific profit targets while staying within predetermined risk limits. Each account size comes with a set profit goal and a maximum drawdown threshold.
| Account Size | Profit Target | Trailing Limit |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | $3,000 | $2,500 |
| $75,000 | $4,250 | $2,750 |
| $100,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 |
| $150,000 | $9,000 | $5,000 |
| $250,000 | $15,000 | $6,500 |
| $300,000 | $20,000 | $7,500 |
| $100,000 (Static) | $2,000 | $650 |
A minimum of seven trading days is required to meet the evaluation criteria. These days don’t have to be consecutive, but this rule ensures consistent performance rather than a single streak of luck. Importantly, your account balance must stay above the profit target even after completing the required trading days.
Daily trading rules are straightforward: all trades must be closed, and any pending orders canceled by 4:59 PM ET each day.
Following the Code of Conduct is mandatory throughout the process. This includes keeping your account secure and ensuring that only you trade on it. Sharing your account or credentials will lead to immediate disqualification.
To keep track of your performance, use platforms like RTrader or Tradovate, which allow you to monitor your maximum drawdown in real time. Understanding the Trailing Threshold Drawdown is crucial to avoid liquidation during this phase. Familiarity with these rules is key before moving on to reset options.
Account Resets and Second Chances
If you breach the rules or hit the maximum drawdown, resets offer a chance to start fresh and try again.
Manual resets are available for accounts that fail to meet the evaluation criteria. These resets cost $80 (Rithmic) or $100 (Tradovate) and are non-refundable. A reset restores your account’s original balance, drawdown limit, and trading days.
Free resets kick in automatically during monthly auto-renewals if your account is in failed status at market close before the renewal date. This ensures you don’t lose money on accounts that didn’t meet the criteria in the previous month.
To reset your account, log into the members’ area and select "Reset" next to the account you wish to restore. Be sure to close all positions before initiating a reset, as this step cannot be undone. Double-check the account you’re resetting since the process is irreversible, and no refunds are provided.
Resets don’t affect your account’s renewal or expiration date, giving you the remaining subscription period to complete the evaluation. This clean slate allows traders to apply lessons learned and make another attempt at qualifying for a funded account.
Moving to Funded Accounts
Once you pass the evaluation, your account is automatically transitioned to a funded account. Apex has designed this process to minimize delays and get traders up and running quickly.
Confirmation of qualification happens within two business days after completing the seventh trading day and meeting all evaluation criteria. You’ll receive an email with links to your contract and payment options for the PA Account, which are also accessible in the signatures tab of your Member’s Area.
Key transition steps include stopping all trading on your evaluation account after passing. Avoid canceling or resetting a passed account, as this could disrupt the funding process. While the transition is automated, your cooperation ensures everything runs smoothly.
Account activation involves completing some paperwork and identity verification. Apex may verify your identity at any time, but there are no credit checks or asset requirements – just proof of trading proficiency during the evaluation.
After passing, you’ll select your fee structure – either $85/$105 monthly or $130–$360 for a lifetime plan. Once payment is made, your account will be activated within four hours using your existing login credentials. You’ll receive an email confirming your PA Account is ready for trading.
If you don’t get confirmation by day ten, submit a help desk ticket. Apex allows you to activate up to 20 PA accounts, giving traders the flexibility to scale their trading operations.
When activating multiple accounts, it’s smart to prioritize lifetime fees over monthly ones to save on costs. Additionally, ensure your evaluation passes before the market closes the day before your renewal billing date to qualify for a refund of the evaluation renewal fee. This seamless transition reinforces the discipline built during the evaluation phase and prepares you for live trading with a funded account.
Practical Tips for Staying Compliant
Building a Systematic Trading Approach
Creating a solid trading plan is essential for maintaining compliance. Outline clear risk levels and establish exit strategies for both profits and losses. A good rule of thumb is to aim for a 5:1 risk-to-reward ratio. Be specific about your entry and exit criteria, including stops, targets, and trailing stops, to ensure consistency in your approach.
Maintaining consistent position sizes is another key factor. Apex values traders who demonstrate steady account growth while keeping their position sizes constant. Avoid making drastic changes, like increasing your contract size significantly on a single trade. Instead, adjust your contract size gradually and logically, based on account performance, to keep risk proportional across all trades.
Your risk management strategy should align with your system’s historical performance. Use back-tested data to guide your decisions and implement strategies that match your trading style and profitability metrics. To minimize emotional decision-making, automate your stop-loss and profit-target orders using Advanced Trade Management (ATM) tools. These tools can automatically execute protective stops and profit targets based on your pre-set risk-reward parameters.
By sticking to a disciplined trading routine, you’ll not only strengthen your strategy but also set yourself up for accurate and consistent daily monitoring.
Tracking Contracts and Daily Performance
Once your trading plan is in place, tracking your daily performance becomes crucial. Monitor key metrics like drawdown, profit targets, and contract limits during each session. Most trading platforms offer built-in tools to help you track your trailing threshold drawdown in real time, which is critical for staying within Apex’s rules.
Pay close attention to your contract limits as your account grows. Each account size has specific contract restrictions, and exceeding them can result in immediate disqualification. To avoid this, use tools like spreadsheets or position-sizing calculators to monitor your exposure.
End-of-day compliance is equally important. Apex requires all trades to be closed and pending orders canceled by 4:59 PM ET. Missing this deadline, even once, could jeopardize your account status. Set reminders to ensure you’re closing trades on time.
Documenting your performance daily is a powerful habit. Record your profit and loss, the number of trades taken, and details like your largest win and loss. This data can help you identify patterns and assess whether you’re consistently adhering to your trading plan.
In addition to daily tracking, conduct weekly reviews of your performance. Check if your trading behavior aligns with your original plan and look for any deviations in position sizing, risk management, or strategy execution. Addressing these issues early can help you avoid potential rule violations.
Using Technology for Better Execution
Reliable technology is a must for staying compliant with Apex PA rules. Internet outages or platform glitches at critical moments can lead to unintended violations. Consider using a high-performance VPS service like QuantVPS, which offers ultra-low latency (0–1ms) and a 100% uptime guarantee – essential features for uninterrupted trading.
Platform stability is especially important for meeting the 4:59 PM ET closing deadline. QuantVPS is compatible with popular platforms like NinjaTrader, MetaTrader, and TradeStation, ensuring smooth operation. Features like DDoS protection and automatic backups add an extra layer of security against technical disruptions.
Fast order execution can be the difference between staying within drawdown limits and breaking account rules. QuantVPS’s dedicated resources and NVMe storage ensure quick order fills, even during volatile market conditions.
If you’re juggling multiple metrics, multi-monitor support can make a big difference. QuantVPS offers server options that support up to six monitors, allowing you to track profit and loss, drawdown limits, contract positions, and market data all at once. This setup reduces the risk of missing critical details.
Global access is another advantage. With QuantVPS, you can manage your trading account from anywhere, ensuring you meet trading requirements and evaluation deadlines no matter where you are.
Lastly, robust system monitoring tools can alert you to potential technical issues before they escalate. QuantVPS includes features that track system performance, helping you avoid disruptions that could lead to missed opportunities or rule violations. By leveraging reliable technology, you can stay focused on disciplined trading and meet Apex PA requirements with confidence.
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What Is Apex’s 30% Consistency Rule (SIMPLIFIED): PA Accounts
Conclusion
Mastering the rules for an Apex PA account isn’t just about following guidelines – it’s about laying the groundwork for lasting success in proprietary trading. These rules are designed to instill the discipline and professionalism that separate skilled traders from those who approach the market with a gambler’s mindset.
At the heart of these rules lies a commitment to consistency. Key principles like maintaining steady position sizes, adhering to the 5:1 risk-to-reward ratio, staying within drawdown limits, and closing all trades by 4:59 PM ET serve as safeguards to keep your trading on track. These aren’t arbitrary restrictions; they’re essential guardrails to protect your account from impulsive decisions.
What truly distinguishes successful Apex traders is their methodical approach. They avoid chasing erratic gains or making drastic changes to position sizes in hopes of a windfall. Instead, they concentrate on gradual, compounded growth that reflects genuine trading skill. As Apex emphasizes:
"Apex is searching for reputable traders who show their abilities to grow their accounts at a STEADY, building, compounding pace."
Equally important is the role of reliable technology. Ensuring your tools are dependable helps you meet daily requirements and avoid technical missteps that could jeopardize your account.
Apex prioritizes traders who approach the market with discipline and professionalism over those taking reckless risks. By embedding these rules into your daily trading routine, you position yourself for a long-term partnership that fosters consistent profitability.
Ultimately, the journey to a funded account is built on a foundation of rule adherence, a systematic trading strategy, and dependable tools. By embracing these principles, you’ll be well-equipped to meet Apex PA requirements and confidently work toward securing a funded account.
FAQs
What are the consequences of breaking trading rules or exceeding the maximum drawdown in an Apex PA account?
If you break the trading rules or surpass the maximum drawdown limit in your Apex PA account, your account could be closed, and any remaining balance forfeited. These guidelines exist to promote disciplined and responsible trading practices.
Repeated rule violations can lead to harsher consequences, such as losing payout eligibility, permanent account closure, or even being barred from future participation. To steer clear of these penalties, make sure you’re familiar with and follow all account rules, including profit targets, drawdown limits, and any specific trading restrictions.
What is the trailing drawdown, and how does it impact my trading strategy in an Apex PA account?
The trailing drawdown in Apex PA accounts is a built-in risk management tool designed to help traders limit losses while promoting account growth. It works by dynamically tracking your peak unrealized balance and adjusts accordingly. Once your account hits a specific safety threshold, the trailing stops. This threshold is calculated as your starting balance plus the drawdown limit and an extra $100.
Here’s how it works: as your account grows, the allowable loss (drawdown) grows alongside it. But once you hit the safety threshold, the drawdown locks in place, securing your profits and preventing further reductions. To navigate this system effectively, traders need to plan their strategies with care, especially during volatile market conditions. Missteps that breach the drawdown limit could result in losing account privileges, so careful risk management is key.
How do I move from an evaluation account to a funded account with Apex?
How to Transition from an Evaluation Account to a Funded Account with Apex
To move from an evaluation account to a funded account with Apex, you first need to complete the evaluation phase. This means hitting the required profit targets while sticking to all trading rules. These rules include things like drawdown limits and consistency requirements, which are in place to gauge both your ability to generate profits and your approach to managing risk.
After successfully meeting the criteria, you can apply for a funded account. Once your application is reviewed and approved, you’ll gain access to it. However, the work doesn’t stop there – continuing to follow Apex’s trading rules and maintaining steady performance is key to keeping your funded account active. Staying disciplined and prioritizing risk management will set you up for long-term success.
