How long does it take to pass a prop firm challenge? The rules set a minimum, but the minimum is rarely the useful number. What decides your timeline is how much the account can make on an average day without risks that breach it, and how a consistency rule treats your best day.
This guide separates the two numbers, shows how to estimate your own pace from the target and a sustainable daily return, and works out what a longer evaluation costs on a monthly plan. It does not quote average pass times, because QATS does not publish one.
How long does it take to pass a prop firm challenge? Two answers
There is a rule answer and a trading answer. The rule answer is the minimum number of trading days, plus any consistency rule that forces profit to be spread across several days. It tells you how fast an evaluation could possibly be passed.
The trading answer is how long your strategy needs to make the target at a size that keeps you well clear of the daily and maximum loss limits. For many traders that is the number that matters, and it is often weeks rather than days. Trying to compress it into the minimum is a common way to breach an account.
The minimum: what the rules allow
QATS Crypto and TradFi evaluations require 2 minimum trading days. Under the any-trade rule, a day with a filled trade counts, even a losing one; several fills on the same day count once, and an unfilled order does not count. Crypto days run on UTC, and TradFi days follow the Chicago-time risk day.
The consistency rule raises the practical floor. On QATS Crypto your best day may be at most 40% of total profit, so at least 3 days must contribute profit before the evaluation can pass; with the 50% TradFi rule the floor is 2. The published QATS plans list a minimum number of trading days but no maximum, so these are floors, not schedules. Other firms set different minimums:
| Firm | Minimum trading days | Consistency rule |
|---|---|---|
| QATS | 2 (Crypto and TradFi) | Best day ≤ 40% of profit (Crypto) · 50% (TradFi) |
| HyroTrader | 5 (One-Step) · 5 + 5 (Two-Step) | Best day ≤ 40% of the target during evaluation |
| FTMO | 4 per phase (2-Step) | 1-Step: best day ≤ 50% of profit (orders from Oct 12, 2026) |
| Alpha Capital Group | 1 (Alpha One) · 3 per phase (Pro) | Not published |
| Blue Guardian | 3, each with at least 0.5% profit | Not publishedfor evaluations |
| Topstep | None | 55% consistency target (Combine) |
The realistic pace: target ÷ sustainable daily return
Divide the profit target by the average net result you can make per trading day, losing days included, at the size your plan allows. The answer is the number of trading days to budget for.
Take a QATS $10K Crypto evaluation with a $1,000 target. The table shows how the timeline changes with the average daily result. These paces are illustrations, not averages or forecasts: use the figure from your own journal or sandbox records.
| Average net per trading day | In dollars | Trading days to target | Months | Monthly fees, standard option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | $100 | 10 | 1 | $69 |
| 0.5% | $50 | 20 | 1 | $69 |
| 0.25% | $25 | 40 | 2 | $138 |
| 0.2% | $20 | 50 | 3 | $207 |
Why losing days and the consistency rule stretch the timeline
Your average must include the days that go wrong. A strategy that makes 0.5% on two days in three and loses 0.4% on the third averages about 0.2% a day, which puts the $10K target 50 trading days away. Measure the net figure over several weeks, not over one good week.
The consistency rule works in the same direction. A big day does not fail a QATS evaluation, but it raises the total you need. On the $10K Crypto account, a single $500 day means total profit must reach $1,250 before the 40% rule is met, $250 more than the target itself.
Fast paces carry their own risk: averaging 1% a day against a 6% maximum loss often means days that swing well beyond 1%, close to the size at which an ordinary losing streak reaches the floor.
What a longer evaluation costs on a monthly plan
A monthly plan costs the monthly price for every month the evaluation stays open; a one-time plan costs the same whatever the duration. On QATS each paid renewal also adds one reset credit, while a one-time plan has a set reset price, $75 on the $10K Crypto account. The activation-fee option lowers the price and adds a one-time $149 fee, charged only when you pass and activate the Funded account.
The table totals the fees if you pass at the end of each month without a breach. An unpaid month pauses trading until you renew, and after 30 unpaid days the account is closed.
| Pass within | Monthly, standard | Monthly + activation fee | One time, standard | One time + activation fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $69 | $198 | $95 | $218 |
| 2 months | $138 | $247 | $95 | $218 |
| 3 months | $207 | $296 | $95 | $218 |
| 4 months | $276 | $345 | $95 | $218 |
The steps from purchase to a first payout request
Reaching the target is not the end of the timeline. These are the steps on a QATS evaluation, in order.
- Trade at least 2 trading days without touching the daily or maximum loss limit.
- Reach the profit target in net profit, after trading fees and funding, with every position closed. Open gains do not count.
- Meet the consistency target. Going over it is not a breach; it means more profit on other days.
- Wait for the server to confirm the pass, then accept the QATS Prop Terms and Funded Account Schedule. On the activation-fee option, the fee is charged at this point.
- Trade the new simulated Funded account. A payout request needs 5 winning days, and payouts are real payments subject to the plan’s eligibility rules, identity verification and a finance review.
Build your own timeline before you buy
- Take your average net result per trading day from several weeks of journal or sandbox records.
- Divide the target by it, then add a margin for a slow month.
- Convert trading days to months at the number of days you actually trade.
- Price the result: months × monthly price, or the one-time fee plus a likely reset.
- If the estimate only works at a size that risks more than your daily stop, choose a smaller account rather than a faster pace.
Frequently asked questions
01What is the fastest you can pass a QATS evaluation?
The rules require 2 trading days, and on a Crypto evaluation the 40% consistency rule means profit from at least 3 days. Passing that quickly needs large daily results relative to the loss limits, so it is a poor basis for a plan.
02Is there a time limit on QATS evaluations?
The published plans set a minimum number of trading days, not a maximum. A monthly plan stays open while it is renewed, and a Crypto account with no trades for the inactivity period shown on its plan is closed.
03How long do most traders take to pass a prop firm challenge?
QATS does not publish an average pass time, and figures quoted without audited data deserve caution. Estimate your own timeline from the target and the net result you can sustain per trading day.
04Is a monthly or one-time plan cheaper if I need several months?
On a QATS $10K Crypto account, standard monthly fees stay below the $95 one-time price for 1 month. Monthly renewals add a reset credit each time, which matters if you expect a breach.
Educational content, not investment advice. QATS evaluations and initial funded accounts are simulated; payouts depend on eligibility, verification and the applicable agreement.