What Happens When You Hit the Max Loss in an Evaluation

Every trading evaluation has a line you must not cross. If your account falls to that line, the attempt is over. The rule is simple, but the details are where traders get surprised, so here they are for a OnePass simulated account.

What happens, step by step

1. Your account reaches the max loss level. On First Pass that is $50 below your starting balance.
2. Any open position is closed exactly at that level, not a few ticks worse.
3. The account closes, so you cannot place new orders on it.
4. Nothing else is owed. There is no debt, no negative balance and no extra fee.

The price you paid, $49 for First Pass, is the most you can lose. A simulated account cannot lose more than it cost.

The line never moves

At OnePass the max loss is static. It is measured from your starting balance and does not rise as you win or fall as you lose. It does not trail intraday and does not trail end-of-day. That means you can see the exact price at which the account ends and plan around it. If you want to compare it with a trailing floor, read static vs trailing drawdown.

What if the target and the max loss both trade?

If both levels trade within the same minute, the one nearer that minute's opening price counts as reached first. So there is no guessing about which came first, and the rule applies to everyone the same way.

How often does this end an attempt?

Most of the time. A trader with no edge reaches the target before the max loss about 25% of the time on First Pass in theory, which means about 75% end at the max loss. Spreads and emotion usually make that worse. Skill is what changes it, and it is the reason to practice first.

How to avoid a surprise ending

• Size from the max loss. Risk a small slice of it per trade, and see how to size with a small max loss.
• Set a daily stop for yourself. Two losses in a row is a common choice.
• Put your stop-loss in before you enter. Stop-losses always count.
• Practice the same numbers free. The practice platform mirrors the real targets and max losses, with no sign-up.

When you want to try again, you can open a new account. See every account and its price on the accounts page. Each account has its own target, its own max loss and a 180-day window.

OnePass accounts are simulated trading evaluations: you trade a simulated account on live market prices, and you're paid a reward if you pass under the rules. Past results of other traders don't predict yours, and most evaluations are not passed.