Reference · Prop Evaluation Rules
Minimum Trading Days: Counting Qualifying Activity
Count qualifying activity using a declared business-day rule, with examples for opened, closed and rejected orders and precise timezone boundaries.
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Published by FxTrusts, a supplier of brokerage and prop firm technology. Prepared with AI-assisted research and drafting; reviewed against the cited public sources. Examples are illustrative. Product links describe our services.
Quick answer
A minimum trading-day requirement counts days that satisfy a program-defined activity condition. Opening a position, closing a trade, placing an order and earning a minimum profit are different conditions. Define the qualifying event and business timezone before counting distinct days.
Choose the event that qualifies a day
A submitted order is not necessarily an executed opening trade. An order can be rejected or remain pending. A position held overnight can close on a later date without opening a new position that day. FTMO’s current program objectives illustrate one opening-based definition, while other programs use different qualifying activity. The operator should publish the selected definition and ensure that both the counter and support explanation follow it.
Map events to the business calendar
Use the program’s stated timezone and day boundaries, not the user’s browser timezone. Two events separated by minutes can fall on different business days around midnight, while events on different local dates can belong to one program day. A named timezone captures daylight-saving transitions that a fixed offset misses. Store the original UTC timestamp and derived business date so the assignment can be checked later.
Count distinct qualifying days, not trades
Once a day meets the declared condition, additional qualifying trades on that day normally do not create additional days under a distinct-day model. This should be implemented as an aggregation over qualifying events, with a clear policy for corrections and canceled or busted executions. Do not suggest that more transactions automatically improve eligibility. The counter is a record of activity under the rules, not an instruction to trade.
Show the evidence behind the counter
A useful view lists each counted day and at least one qualifying event reference. It should also explain why another day was excluded. During a dispute, compare the original event type and timestamp rather than a screenshot of a calendar. Program changes, account resets or phase transitions can change the applicable counting window, so retain the rule and window version with the displayed total.
Opening-based counting in a fictional program
Assume a day qualifies only when a new position is opened during that program day. On day A a pending order is submitted but never filled. On day B two positions open. On day C one of those positions closes with no new opening. On day D a new position opens. The count is two qualifying days, B and D, regardless of how many trades occurred on B.
| Program day | Activity | Qualifies under this rule? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Unfilled pending order | No |
| B | Two new positions opened | Yes: one day |
| C | Existing position closed only | No |
| D | One new position opened | Yes: one day |
Implementation checklist
- Define the exact qualifying event or daily condition.
- Use the program timezone and retain UTC source timestamps.
- Count distinct qualifying dates within the correct phase or window.
- Expose supporting event IDs and reasons for excluded days.
Sources
These documents support the reference. Check the original publication for current requirements and the limits of its scope.
- FTMO program-specific trading objectivesftmo.com
- Python time-zone informationdocs.python.org
- MetaTrader 5 trading principleswww.metatrader5.com
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