How many contracts should I use?

Use the size that keeps per-trade loss inside your plan, not necessarily the maximum allowed.

What after a large green day?

Reduce pressure, review consistency and avoid giving back profit from overconfidence.

What should I automate?

Daily loss, lockout, contract cap and remaining-room alerts.

9 min read

How to pass Topstep with a realistic plan.

A Combine plan based on process: limit red days, avoid oversizing and keep one green day from distorting consistency.

— Summary

Key points

1Define maximum risk before entering.
2External rules must become daily operating limits.
3Position size depends on the stop, not the desire to make more.
4Automation helps enforce limits, but it does not replace a plan.

— Contents

011. Passing is not rushing
022. Size by acceptable loss
033. Daily plan
044. Consistency
055. Risk and expectations

1. Passing is not rushing

The most dangerous way to try passing fast is increasing contracts to reach the target sooner. The more stable path is reducing large mistakes and letting normal green days add up.

2. Size by acceptable loss

Define how much you can lose per trade before choosing contracts. If your setup stop implies too much loss, the problem is not the stop; it is the size.

3. Daily plan

1Trade only defined windows.
2Stop after two full losses.
3Do not increase size while red.
4Do not chase a daily target.
5Record whether you followed rules.

4. Consistency

An oversized day can create unnecessary pressure. It is better to stack repeatable days than depend on one exceptional trade.

Situation	Prudent decision
Very green day	Reduce or stop.
Early red day	Stop before the limit.
Unclear setup	Do not trade.

5. Risk and expectations

This is not financial advice and does not guarantee passing an evaluation. Firm rules can change; always verify the official source before trading.

— FAQ

Frequently asked questions

It can happen, but forcing speed usually increases the chance of breaking rules.

— Keep exploring

GuideHow to pass the TopStep evaluation

GuideTopstep rules

ComparisonTopstep review

GuideTopstep trailing drawdown

ComparisonFutures prop firm rules

IntegrationTopStep integration

GuideNinjaTrader risk management tools

PricingPricing & plans

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Topstep

Rules, Combine, drawdown and comparisons for traders studying Topstep.

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