What Are Consistency Rules in Futures Prop Trading? (Complete Guide)

What is a Consistency Rule?

A consistency rule limits how much profit you can make in a single day relative to your total profit target. Most prop firms enforce consistency rules between 30-50%, meaning no single trading day can account for more than 30-50% of your total profits.

Example

Profit target: $3,000
Consistency rule: 40%
Maximum single-day profit: $1,200 (40% of $3,000)

If you make $2,000 in one day and $1,000 over the next few days, you'd have $3,000 total profit - but you'd fail the consistency rule because one day exceeded the 40% threshold.

Why Do Consistency Rules Exist?

Prop firms want traders who can generate consistent, reliable profits - not gamblers who get lucky on one massive win. Consistency rules serve several purposes:

Risk Management: A trader who makes all their profit in one day likely took excessive risk to get there.
Skill Verification: Consistency rules ensure traders have a repeatable edge, not just lucky timing.
Business Sustainability: Firms want traders who will generate steady income over months and years, not flash-in-the-pan winners.

How Consistency Rules Are Calculated

Consistency rules are calculated based on your best trading day relative to your total profit. Here's the formula:

Consistency % = (Best Day Profit / Total Profit) × 100

Most firms use one of these thresholds:

30% Rule: Very strict - used by conservative firms
40% Rule: Most common - balanced approach
50% Rule: More lenient - allows for bigger winning days
No Rule: Some firms don't enforce consistency (rare)

Strategies to Pass Consistency Rules

1. Split Your Profit Target Into Milestones

If you need $3,000 and have a 40% rule, plan to never make more than $1,200 in a single day. Break your target into daily milestones:

Day 1: $800
Day 2: $1,000
Day 3: $1,200 (max allowed)
Total: $3,000 ✓

2. Stop Trading After Hitting Your Daily Limit

If you're having a hot streak and approach your consistency limit, stop trading for the day. Come back tomorrow. Many traders fail by getting greedy on winning days.

3. Track Your Best Day Throughout the Eval

Keep a running calculation of your consistency percentage as you trade:

Current Consistency = (Best Day / Current Total Profit) × 100

If you're approaching the limit, you know to be cautious on winning days.

4. Use Multiple Trading Sessions

Instead of one long session, break your trading into multiple smaller sessions. This naturally distributes your profits across more days and reduces the chance of an oversized winning day.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake #1: Ignoring the Rule Early On

Many traders don't think about consistency until they're close to their profit target. By then, it's too late - their best day already exceeds the threshold.

✓ Solution: Plan for consistency from day one of your evaluation.

❌ Mistake #2: Revenge Trading After Hitting the Limit

You have a great day, hit your consistency limit, then try to "make more" by taking risky trades. This often leads to losses that undo your progress.

✓ Solution: Accept your win and come back tomorrow with a clear head.

❌ Mistake #3: Passing the Profit Target but Failing Consistency

You celebrate hitting $3,000 in profit, only to realize your best day was $2,000 - a 67% consistency score, which fails the 40% rule.

✓ Solution: Always check both requirements: profit target AND consistency.

Final Thoughts

Consistency rules might seem frustrating at first, but they're actually teaching you a valuable lesson: sustainable trading beats gambling every time. Traders who pass consistency rules tend to have longer, more profitable careers in funded accounts.

Treat consistency rules as a feature, not a bug. They're protecting you from the biggest killer of trading accounts: oversized risk-taking.

What Are Consistency Rules in Prop Trading?