Learn to trade, then pass the eval. Foundations first, funded third.
Two tracks, one honest path. Foundations is the ground-up primer — what trading actually is, the mechanics, reading price, risk and the inner game — no signals, no hype. Pass the Eval is the prop-firm track: how evaluations work, exactly how the drawdown line moves, and the mechanics behind the breaches that end most attempts early. Every firm number is drawn from our verified firm rules.
Track 1 — Foundations — Learn to Trade
The honest ground-up primer: what trading actually is, the mechanics, reading price, risk and restraint, the inner game — and how to build your own one-page plan. No signals, no hype; the classroom is real markets. Start here before the prop-firm track.
- 01The Honest OrientationProWhat trading actually is — and whether it's for you.7 min read
- 02The MechanicsProContracts, the numbers, orders, and reading price.9 min read
- 03Tools & SetupProBroker, platform, sim vs live — what you actually need.3 min read
- 04Reading the Chart DeeperProCandles, timeframes, volume, and tools (not signals).4 min read
- 05Market Structure & SessionsProTrend vs range, zones, and the rhythm of the day.4 min read
- 06The Strategy LandscapeProA menu of styles — find what fits you, not a 'best' pick.8 min read
- 07Instrument PersonalitiesProHow NQ, Gold, and the Dow each behave.4 min read
- 08The Macro LensProRates, inflation, risk-on/off — why gold reacts differently.4 min read
- 09Risk & RestraintProPosition sizing, R-multiples, and the caps that keep you alive.11 min read
- 10Building & Testing an EdgeProDemo, backtest, and journal before you trust an idea.5 min read
- 11The Inner GameProFear, greed, discipline — the psychology through-line.8 min read
- 12The Business of TradingProRecords, costs, taxes, prop vs personal — treat it like a business.4 min read
- 13Build Your Own PhilosophyProThe capstone — synthesize your own one-page trading plan.6 min read
Track 2 — Pass the Eval
How prop-firm evaluations actually work — the fee, the loss line, the consistency gate — and the mechanics behind why most attempts end early. Rules first, discipline second, funded third.
- 01How prop-firm evaluations actually workProAn evaluation isn't a job interview — it's a product with a price, a pass condition, and a business model that runs on resets. Understand what the firm is actually selling before you pay the fee, and the rest of this track stops feeling like luck.7 min read
- 02Drawdown mechanics: static, trailing, and the locked lineProThe max-loss line ends more evaluations than any other rule — and most traders don't know where theirs is at any given moment. Static, end-of-day trailing and intraday trailing are three different animals. This lesson makes the difference concrete with real, verified firm examples.9 min read
- 03Daily loss limits, resets, and the firms that don't have oneProThe daily loss limit resets on the firm's clock, not your local midnight — and it's usually measured on equity, so an open loser can spend the day's room before you close anything. Some firms have no daily cap at all, which is simpler but not safer. Here's how to trade both.8 min read
- 04Consistency rules and payout gatesProThe consistency rule rarely fails your account — it holds your payout. Your best single day can't be too large a slice of your total profit, and the exact basis (percent of total profit vs percent of target) differs by firm. Here's how the gate works and how to trade so it never traps your money.8 min read
- 05Why evaluations fail in week oneProMost early breaches aren't bad trading — they're a handful of mechanical mistakes made against rules the trader didn't fully understand. Oversizing against the line, not recomputing a trailing stop, giving the target back, forcing minimum days. Name them and you can design them out.7 min read
- 06Choosing the right firm for how you tradeProThe 'easiest' firm is a myth — there's only the firm whose rules fit how you actually hold trades. Match the drawdown style to your behaviour, weigh the daily-limit and consistency structure, and price the real cost of getting funded. Here's the framework, then the tools to run the comparison yourself.7 min read
Lessons open in full for Pro members. Rules change — the lessons teach the mechanic (which is stable); the live per-firm numbers stay current in the firm rules directory. TradersGuild is an independent rule tracker, not affiliated with any prop firm. Not financial advice.