TopStep Combine Rules Guide 2025: Everything You Need to Pass

## TopStep Combine Rules Guide 2025: Everything You Need to Pass Passing a TopStep Combine comes down to one thing: rule clarity. Traders who fail multiple evaluations almost always lose because of a rule they misunderstood, not because their strategy doesn't work. This is the complete rules breakdown for 2025. ## TopStep Combine Account Sizes TopStep offers three Combine sizes: - **$50,000 Combine**: $3,000 profit target, $2,000 trailing drawdown, 5 minimum trading days - **$100,000 Combine**: $6,000 profit target, $3,000 trailing drawdown, 5 minimum trading days - **$150,000 Combine**: $9,000 profit target, $4,500 trailing drawdown, 5 minimum trading days All three require a minimum of 5 trading days (a trading day counts when you execute at least one trade). No maximum time limit — the Combine runs until you hit the profit target or violate a rule. ## The Trailing Drawdown: How It Actually Works The trailing drawdown is the most misunderstood rule in any prop firm evaluation. Here is exactly how it works for TopStep: **Starting Position**: You begin with a trailing drawdown equal to the drawdown amount below your starting balance. For the 100K, your floor starts at $97,000. **How It Trails**: The floor follows your highest intraday equity — not just end-of-day closes. If your account hits $101,000 intraday, your floor rises to $98,000 immediately, even if you close the day at $99,500. **The Lock-In**: Once your account balance (not intraday high) reaches the starting balance + trailing drawdown amount ($103,000 for the 100K), the floor permanently locks at your starting balance ($100,000) and stops following your equity. This is the "breakeven lock." **Critical implication**: Because the drawdown trails intraday equity, you can violate the drawdown without closing a trade at a loss. If you're in a trade that temporarily moves against you by $3,000+ at peak, and your floor is close to that level, the violation triggers on the unrealized loss. ## Daily Loss Limit TopStep imposes a daily loss limit equal to the trailing drawdown amount: - $50K Combine: $1,000 daily loss limit - $100K Combine: $2,000 daily loss limit - $150K Combine: $3,000 daily loss limit Once you hit the daily loss limit, TopStep's platform automatically closes all positions and locks trading for the remainder of that session. A daily loss limit breach does not fail the Combine — but multiple breaches burn your buffer quickly. ## Minimum Trading Days You must have at least 5 trading days on your account before the profit target counts. A "trading day" requires at least one executed trade. You cannot hit the profit target on Day 3 and be funded — the system enforces the 5-day minimum. This rule prevents traders from getting lucky on one or two high-volatility events and claiming a funded account without demonstrating pattern consistency. ## Contract Limits by Account Size - **$50,000**: Up to 5 standard contracts - **$100,000**: Up to 10 standard contracts - **$150,000**: Up to 15 standard contracts Micro contracts count at 1/10th the weight. You can use micros freely for scaling into positions. NQ, ES, CL, GC, and other futures products are all available — you are not restricted to a single instrument. ## The Consistency Rule (Funded Account Only) The consistency rule does NOT apply during the Combine evaluation — it only kicks in on your funded account. Once funded, no single day can account for more than 30% of your total funded account profit. This is the rule most traders are surprised by after passing. If your first funded day is an outlier $2,000 day, you need to build at least $6,667 in total profit before that day is below the 30% threshold. Plan for this from Day 1 of funded status. ## Strategy for Passing the 100K Combine **Week 1 Goal: Reach the Drawdown Lock** Your first priority is not the profit target — it's getting your floor locked at breakeven. For the 100K, this means reaching $103,000 account balance. Trade 1-3 contracts with a 10-point target and 6-point stop on ES. One 10-point runner per day adds $500-$1,500 with controlled risk. **Risk Per Trade During Evaluation** Keep risk per trade at 15-20% of the trailing drawdown maximum. For the 100K with a $3,000 drawdown, that's $450-$600 max loss per trade. This gives you 5+ losers before the floor becomes a real concern. **Avoid These Combine-Killing Behaviors** 1. Trading FOMC and NFP at full size — cut to 1 contract on scheduled macro events 2. Holding overnight without reviewing margin requirements 3. Adding to a losing position hoping for recovery 4. Taking a trade to "use the daily loss limit" as if it's a free allocation **Day Counting** Get your 5 trading days logged in the first week. Even if you're flat on profitability, one trade per day satisfies the requirement. Don't leave minimum day compliance to the final days. ## TopStep vs Apex: Which Combine Is Easier? Both have similar structures, but three differences matter: 1. **Drawdown trailing**: Apex trails from the daily high; TopStep trails from intraday high equity in real time. Both have the same risk of intraday violation during open trades. 2. **Consistency rule threshold**: Both impose a 30% single-day rule on funded accounts. Apex specifies 30% of total profit; TopStep uses the same framework. 3. **Pricing and resets**: Check current pricing — TopStep typically offers discounts on retakes. Compare the cost per reset carefully before choosing an account size. ## Summary The TopStep Combine is designed so that a trader who manages risk correctly and trades 5+ days hits the profit target naturally. The failure mode is almost always the trailing drawdown violated by an oversized trade, not an actual strategy failure. Respect the floor, reach the lock-in threshold first, and treat the minimum days as a pace setter rather than a hurdle.