How to Pass Funded Trading Plus Challenge: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Funded Trading Plus Challenge Overview

Funded Trading Plus operates a two-tier challenge system designed to evaluate trading consistency and risk management before granting you access to funded capital. The program, offered by FTP London Ltd. (Manchester, UK, founded 2013), has three main pathways: the 2-Step Classic Challenge at $119/month, the 1-Step Express Challenge at $119/month, and the Instant Funding account at $299/month (which skips evaluation entirely).

The 2-Step Classic Challenge works like this: You pay your entry fee, receive a simulated trading account with a specified balance (typically $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000), and must pass two evaluation phases. Phase 1 requires you to hit a profit target while staying within drawdown limits. If successful, Phase 2 confirms your ability to trade consistently under the same rules. Once approved, you receive a funded account with profit splits up to 100% and potential scaling up to $2.5 million in capital.

The key advantage of Funded Trading Plus is their five supported trading platforms (including cTrader and DXTrade), giving you flexibility in your trading environment. However, entry costs are higher than some competitors, and all instruments are CFDs—meaning no direct access to stocks or futures contracts.

Funded Trading Plus Challenge Rules You Must Know

Understanding the exact rules is non-negotiable. Here are the core constraints most traders face on the Funded Trading Plus 2-Step Challenge:

• Profit Target: Typically 8-10% of your starting account balance. On a $25,000 account, you need $2,000-$2,500 in profit to pass Phase 1. This is moderate compared to industry standards.
• Daily Drawdown Limit: Generally set at 5% of your starting balance per trading day. This is your "stop-loss for the day"—once you lose 5% of your account in a single day, your account is locked and the challenge fails. On a $25,000 account, this means a $1,250 daily loss limit.
• Maximum Drawdown: Typically 10% of your starting balance across the entire evaluation period. This is a cumulative limit—even if you recover losses, the deepest point your account ever reaches cannot exceed 10% below your starting balance. On a $25,000 account, your account cannot drop below $22,500.
• Time Limit: Usually 30-60 days to complete both phases. You must hit your profit target within this window. No extensions.
• Restricted Instruments: No trading during major economic news events (typically high-impact news like FOMC decisions, NFP releases, ECB announcements). News trading violations result in immediate account lockdown.
• Weekend Holding Restrictions: Many prop firms (including Funded Trading Plus) restrict overnight holdings through weekends on certain instruments due to gap risk. Check your specific challenge terms, as this can vary by instrument.
• Scaling Restrictions: You cannot dramatically increase position sizes between phases. Sudden jumps in risk profile are red flags for automated systems and can trigger account reviews.

Step-by-Step Strategy to Pass

Step 1: Calculate Your Maximum Risk Per Trade

With a 5% daily drawdown limit and 10% maximum drawdown overall, you need a rigid position-sizing formula. Most successful traders on Funded Trading Plus use the 0.5-1% risk rule per trade. Here's the math:

On a $25,000 account with 1% risk per trade: You risk $250 per trade. If your average stop loss is 20 pips on EUR/USD, your position size is 125 micro-lots (1.25 standard lots). This ensures you never risk more than $250 on any single trade, which protects your daily 5% limit ($1,250) even if you lose 5 trades in a row.

Step 2: Focus on High-Probability Setups in Liquid Instruments

Funded Trading Plus supports forex, indices, commodities, and crypto. Stick to the most liquid pairs and indices: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and major indices like the S&P 500 futures equivalent (via CFD). Avoid exotic pairs and illiquid instruments—wider spreads and slippage will eat into your limited drawdown.

Step 3: Build a Consistent Day-Trading or Swing-Trading Plan

Don't switch between day trading and swing trading. Pick one and commit. Day trading gives you more control over daily loss limits and lets you flatten positions before weekend risk. Swing trading works if your setups are high-conviction and your position sizing is tight.

Step 4: Hit Your Profit Target at 50-60% Speed

If you need 8% profit to pass Phase 1, aim to hit it in 15-20 of your 30-day window. This gives you a 10-15 day buffer to recover from losing streaks without blowing up. Example: On a $25,000 account needing $2,000 profit, pace yourself to make $100-125 per trading day for 15-20 days, then coast through the final 10-15 days protecting your gains.

Step 5: Implement a Strict Daily Loss Cutoff

Set your personal daily stop-loss at 3% of your account, not the full 5% allowed. This keeps you in the challenge if you have a bad day and gives the exchange/broker less leverage to lock your account on technical issues. On a $25,000 account, lose $750 and you're done trading for the day—no exceptions.

Step 6: Track Every Trade and Weekly Performance

Use Funded Trading Plus's performance analytics dashboard (a key feature). Review your trades weekly: What setup performed best? Which session (London, New York) suits your strategy? Are you hitting your profit targets while staying above your maximum drawdown? Adjust your instrument selection and session timing based on data, not gut feeling.

Step 7: Protect Your Profits in the Final 5-7 Days

Once you've hit your 8-10% target, reduce your position sizes by 50%. Your only job now is to avoid the 10% max drawdown limit and keep your account above the water line. This is where most traders fail—they get greedy after passing and blow their profits. Lock in your wins.

Risk Management Framework

Your survival in the Funded Trading Plus challenge depends on three interlocking rules:

Position Sizing Formula:

(Account Balance × Risk % per Trade) ÷ Stop Loss in Currency = Position Size

Example: ($25,000 × 0.01) ÷ 50 pips on EUR/USD = 5 micro-lots (50 pips = approximately $50 on a micro-lot)

Maximum Risk Per Trade: 0.5-1% of account balance

Never exceed 1%. This means on a $25,000 account, your maximum loss per single trade is $250. If your stop loss is 50 pips, you can trade 5 micro-lots. If your stop loss is 100 pips, you can only trade 2.5 micro-lots. Wider stops = smaller positions. Non-negotiable.

Daily Loss Target: 3% (self-imposed hard stop, even though limit is 5%)

Once you lose 3% of your account in a single day, close your trading terminal. Walk away. Review your trades. This prevents emotional spiral trading and revenge trading—the #1 killer in prop firm challenges. On a $25,000 account, your daily cutoff is $750 in losses.

Maximum Drawdown Buffer: Maintain 1% safety margin

If your max drawdown limit is 10%, never let your account drop below 11% cushion from your starting balance. On a $25,000 account, keep your account above $22,250 at all times. If you hit $22,400, close all positions and reassess.

Common Reasons Traders Fail Funded Trading Plus

1. Over-Sizing on Early Wins (Failure Rate: ~30% of first-time challengers)

Traders make $500 profit on Day 2 and think they've cracked the code. They double their position sizes. A drawdown follows, and they hit their max drawdown limit by Day 10. Discipline: Keep position sizes constant until you've passed Phase 1 with buffer room.

2. News Trading Violations

Holding positions through high-impact news releases is explicitly forbidden. Automated systems catch this instantly and lock your account. Even if you profit, the violation can void your challenge. Always close positions 15 minutes before major economic data releases.

3. Revenge Trading After Losing Days (Failure Rate: ~25%)

You lose 2% on Monday. On Tuesday, you increase your position sizes to "make it back quickly." This is gambling, not trading. You'll hit your daily 5% or max drawdown limits within days. Solution: Stick to your position sizing formula regardless of previous day's P&L.

4. Ignoring Maximum Drawdown Until It's Too Late

Traders focus on hitting their profit target (8-10%) and ignore the cumulative drawdown. By Day 20, they're up 6% profit but their account has touched the 10% max drawdown limit. They fail the challenge even though they're profitable. Monitor both metrics equally.

5. Trading Illiquid Instruments or Exotic Pairs

EUR/GBP spreads might be 2-3 pips. GBP/ZAR might be 15+ pips. On a $25,000 account with tight position sizing, wide spreads eat your edge. Stick to top-5 forex pairs and major indices. Avoid commodities and crypto during off-hours when spreads widen.

6. Shifting Strategies Mid-Challenge (Failure Rate: ~20%)

You start with a day-trading plan. By Day 12, you're frustrated and switch to swing trading. Three days later, you're holding over the weekend and gap down against you. Consistency matters. Lock your strategy on Day 1 and commit to it for 30 days.

Day-by-Day Sample Challenge Plan

Account: $25,000 | Profit Target: $2,000 (8%) | Daily Loss Limit: $750 | Max Drawdown: $2,500

Days 1-5: Conservative Testing Phase

• Target profit: $100-150/day (conservative 4-6 micro-lot positions, tight stops)
• Cumulative P&L target: +$500 to +$750
• Goal: Validate your strategy works, stay above daily cutoff
• Sample Day 1: 3 trades, +$120 profit. Days 2-5: Average +$140/day. Running total: +$700

Days 6-15: Building Confidence Phase

• Target profit: $120-160/day (maintain 5-7 micro-lot positions, slightly wider stops as confidence builds)
• Cumulative P&L target: +$700 (Days 1-5) + $1,400 (Days 6-15) = +$2,100 (target achieved)
• Goal: Hit your profit target with 50% of your timeline remaining
• Sample Days 6-10: Average +$150/day = +$750. Total: +$1,450. Days 11-15: Average +$130/day = +$650. Total: +$2,100

Days 16-25: Profit Protection Phase

• Target profit: $50-75/day (reduce position sizes by 25%, tighten stops further)
• Cumulative P&L target: Maintain +$2,100-$2,500
• Goal: Avoid aggressive trades; protect your win. Don't exceed daily $750 loss limit.
• Sample: Average +$60/day = +$600. Total: +$2,700

Days 26-30: Coast to Finish

• Target profit: Breakeven to +$50/day
• Cumulative P&L target: Stay above +$2,000
• Goal: Don't lose what you've earned. Reduce position sizes to 2-3 micro-lots. Only take high-conviction setups.
• Sample: Average -$10/day (small losses acceptable, keeping account stable). Total: +$2,650

P&L Progression Chart: Day 5: +$700 | Day 10: +$1,450 | Day 15: +$2,100 | Day 20: +$2,300 | Day 25: +$2,500 | Day 30: +$2,650

This pacing ensures you hit your target by Day 15 and spend your final 15 days protecting it, not chasing bigger returns.

Funded Trading Plus vs Other Prop Firms

Funded Trading Plus vs The5ers

The5ers charges $99-$199 per challenge (lower entry cost) but typically requires 10% profit with 8% max drawdown—tighter constraints than Funded Trading Plus's standard 8% profit with 10% drawdown. Funded Trading Plus gives you more breathing room on drawdown, making it slightly easier for traders new to prop trading. However, The5ers has lower fees, so profitability is higher once you pass.

Funded Trading Plus vs FTMO

FTMO ($170-$349) is the industry standard with excellent customer service and a massive trader base. Their 10% profit target is higher, but their payouts are reliable and transparent. Funded Trading Plus's instant funding tier ($299/month) appeals to traders who want to skip evaluation, but FTMO's structure is more rigorous and therefore more credible to prop firms as a trader vetting mechanism.

Funded Trading Plus vs PropChartist

PropChartist ($60-$150) is the cheapest entry point and offers 8% profit targets on par with Funded Trading Plus. However, Funded Trading Plus's five-platform flexibility and stronger Trustpilot rating (4.7/5 vs competitors around 4.3-4.5) make it more trustworthy. PropChartist is better for bootstrapping; Funded Trading Plus is better for serious traders prioritizing platform choice and support.

What Happens After You Pass

Funded Account Activation

Once you pass both phases, you receive your funded trading account. This is a real account with your percentage of profits. Funded Trading Plus offers profit splits ranging from 80% to 100% depending on your tier and performance history. New traders typically start at 80-90%; successful long-term traders scale to 100%.

Scaling Plan

Funded Trading Plus's major differentiator is their scaling path up to $2.5 million in funded capital. Here's how it typically works:

• Pass challenge: $25,000 funded account, 80-90% profit split
• Trade profitably for 2-3 months: Scale to $50,000, 85-90% split
• Maintain consistency: Scale to $100,000, 90% split
• Continue growth: Scale to $250,000+, up to 100% split at $2.5M

This is significantly higher scaling potential than many competitors who cap out at $500,000-$1 million. If your goal is to eventually trade $1M+ in capital, Funded Trading Plus's platform is built for that trajectory.

Profit Payouts and Frequency

Payouts typically occur monthly via wire transfer or local banking options. There's a 7-10 day withdrawal request processing window. Unlike some prop firms with opaque withdrawal policies, Funded Trading Plus publishes clear payout schedules and has strong 24/7 customer support (a key advantage).

Rules on Your Funded Account

Your funded account maintains similar risk rules to your challenge (daily drawdown limits, max drawdown per period), but they're often slightly more relaxed. You'll have a monthly maximum loss limit (typically 10-12% per month) rather than a hard account termination on max drawdown. This gives you runway to recover from losing periods.

The Cost-Benefit Calculation

You pay $119-$299 upfront (challenge fee). If you pass and trade $25,000 at 80% split with a 15% monthly return, you're making $3,000/month gross—covering your entry fee within days. At scale ($250,000 with 90% split at 15% monthly return), you're making $33,750/month. This is why traders invest in prop firm challenges: the leverage and profit split potential.

The catch: You must be consistently profitable. Most traders fail their first challenge because they underestimate the psychological pressure of live evaluation. That's why the step-by-step strategy above is critical—it removes emotion and forces discipline.