Profit Target
The profit amount or percentage required to pass an evaluation phase, typically 6-10% of the account size depending on firm and product.
What is Profit Target?
A profit target is the dollar amount of net profit you must accumulate during the evaluation phase to pass. It’s the headline pass condition — when traders ask “how do I pass this eval,” hitting the profit target is the answer (alongside not breaching any other rules).
Targets scale with account size. A $25K evaluation typically requires $1,500 profit (6%). A $50K eval requires $3,000 (6%). A $100K eval requires $6,000-$10,000 (6-10%). Larger accounts often have slightly higher percentage targets because the buying power is more meaningful.
Profit targets exist solely on the evaluation phase. Once funded, there is no further profit target — you’ve proven you can hit the bar and the firm is happy to let you trade indefinitely as long as rules hold. The funded stage is about consistency and longevity, not hitting another threshold.
How Profit Target works
Calculation: Net profit since the eval started, measured against starting balance. Commissions, slippage, and platform fees count against you (you must clear the target NET of all costs). Some firms calculate the target as a high-water mark — once your balance touches starting + target, you’ve passed even if you immediately give some back.
Time pressure: Most modern evaluations have NO time limit on hitting the target. Apex (post-March 2026) gives unlimited time; TPT Test runs as long as you keep paying the monthly subscription; Tradeify has no time limit on most products. The old “30-day evaluation” model is mostly gone.
Minimum trading days: Most firms require minimum trading days (5 days at TPT, 5 at Topstep, varies elsewhere) — you can’t hit the target on day 1 and immediately pass. The minimum-days requirement filters out single-trade gamblers.
Clean pass requirement: Hitting the target while breaching another rule (consistency, max position size, daily loss) doesn’t pass. The trade(s) that broke the rule typically get reverted, your balance drops, and you’re back to grinding. Worse: many firms count rule violations cumulatively — three small consistency violations = eval fail even if individually each was minor.
What happens after passing: Most firms auto-transition the account to “awaiting activation” status. You receive an email, click through to pay activation, and the funded account opens with starting balance reset to the funded stage’s defined amount (typically the original eval starting balance, not the post-target high).
Worked example
Apex $50K evaluation, 6% profit target = $3,000 net profit needed:
- Day 1: Net +$650
- Day 2: Net -$200
- Day 3: Net +$450
- Day 4: Net +$1,200 (caution — this day is 64% of total profit so far. Will fail the 50% consistency rule unless smoothed out)
- Day 5: Net +$300
- Days 6-9: Net +$650 across 4 days (smaller, more consistent)
- Total day 9: +$3,050. Target hit.
- Consistency check: best day $1,200 / total $3,050 = 39.3%. Under 50% threshold ✓
- Min trading days check: 9 days traded, well over 5-day minimum ✓
- Eval passes. Trader pays $130 activation, funded account opens at $50,000 starting balance.
If the trader had hit $3,000 on day 4 alone (+$3,000 single day), best day = $3,000, total = $3,000, consistency = 100% — fails the 50% rule. Continued trading required to bring the percentage down.
Profit Target vs related concepts
Side-by-side comparison of Profit Target against the most commonly confused alternatives.
| Concept | Definition | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Profit Target this term | The profit amount or percentage required to pass an evaluation phase, typically 6-10% of the account size depending on firm and product. | Rules & Risk |
| Consistency Rule | A rule limiting how much of your total profit can come from a single trading day, designed to prevent payout cycles built on one lucky session. | Rules & Risk |
| Profit Split | The percentage of profits a funded trader keeps versus the percentage retained by the prop firm, typically ranging from 80% to 100%. | Rules & Risk |
| Trading Days | The minimum number of separate days a trader must be active on an account — typically 5 — before passing evaluation or qualifying for the next payout. | Rules & Risk |
| Prop Firm Challenge | A structured evaluation program — usually with profit targets, drawdown limits, and trading rules — that traders must complete to qualify for a funded account. | General Concepts |
How major prop firms handle Profit Target
Every firm implements profit target differently. Here's the firm-by-firm breakdown — DGT-trusted firms surface first, with implementation notes for each.
| Firm | How they handle it | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Apex Trader Funding DGT TRUSTED | Profit targets are 6% of account size: $1,500 on $25K, $3,000 on $50K, $6,000 on $100K, etc. No time limit on most current evaluations (post-March 2026 ruleset). No minimum trading days required to hit the target. | |
| Take Profit Trader DGT TRUSTED | Profit targets vary by Test account size — typically 6% of account size. 5-day minimum trading days required. No time limit (you pay monthly Test subscription as long as the eval is active). | |
| Tradeify DGT TRUSTED | Profit targets typically 6-10% depending on account product (Growth, Select, Lightning). No time limit on most evaluations. Lightning Funded products have lower targets but tighter drawdown rules. | |
| Lucid Trading DGT TRUSTED | Profit targets typically 6-8% of account size. Lucid emphasizes simple rules including straightforward targets. Verify exact target per product on lucidtrading.com. | |
| Bulenox | Profit targets vary by account product. Bulenox evaluations are positioned as cheaper entry — verify target on bulenox.com for the specific account size. |
Why traders fail Profit Target
Targeting the target instead of the strategy. Traders who fixate on “I need $3,000” trade larger and more aggressively, blowing the trailing drawdown long before reaching the target. The target is a side-effect of executing your edge — not a goal to chase.
Forgetting the consistency rule on the way to target. A $1,800 day on a $3,000 target is 60% — that single day, by itself, will block payout under most consistency rules. Modulate position size to keep individual days under 50% of running total.
Not budgeting commissions. The target is NET profit. Apex futures evals running through Rithmic typically incur $0.50-$1.50 per side per micro contract. A trader who ignores commissions can hit $3,150 “gross” then realize they’re at $3,000 net — passing by exactly target after 200 trades.
Hitting target then immediately blowing the eval. Some traders hit target on day 5, then keep aggressively trading to “pad” before the eval converts. Result: trailing drawdown breach on day 6, and the eval fails. Stop trading once you hit target — the firm processes the conversion automatically.
Frequently asked questions about Profit Target
How long do I have to hit the profit target?
Most current futures prop firm evaluations have NO hard time limit. Apex (post-March 2026), TPT Test (as long as you maintain subscription), Tradeify, Lucid — all give unlimited time. Older 30-day evaluation models are mostly extinct.
Does the profit target apply to funded accounts?
No. Profit targets are evaluation-only. Once funded, you trade indefinitely with no further target — only rule compliance matters. The funded stage is about longevity and consistency, not hitting another threshold.
Can I hit the profit target in one trade?
Technically possible on some firms, but you'll likely fail the consistency rule that applies during evaluation. You also need to meet minimum trading day requirements (5 days at TPT, etc.). One-trade passes are rare and risky.
Is the target gross profit or net profit?
Net profit. Commissions, fees, and any slippage costs count against your target progress. A trader hitting $3,150 in gross profit on a $3,000 target may only be at $2,900 net after commissions — still short.
What happens after I hit the profit target?
Most firms auto-flag your eval as passed once the target is cleanly hit (no rule violations). You receive an email with an activation link, pay the activation fee ($130 at Apex/TPT), and the funded account opens. Stop trading once you pass — extra trades risk breaching rules before activation.