One-step challenge — An evaluation with a single phase — hit one profit target inside the risk rules and the account moves straight to funded.
How one-step challenge works in prop trading
A one-step challenge collapses the old two-phase model into a single test. You buy the account, reach one profit target without breaching the drawdown or daily loss limit, satisfy any minimum trading days, and you are through. It is now the default in the futures prop space and increasingly common elsewhere.
One step does not mean easier. Firms that removed the second phase usually compensated somewhere else — a tighter trailing drawdown, a consistency rule at the payout stage, a longer minimum-days requirement, or a profit buffer before the first withdrawal. The difficulty tends to move rather than disappear, so compare the whole rule set rather than counting phases.
Key points
- One phase, one profit target, then activation of the funded account.
- Common futures targets sit around 6% of account size; forex-style one-step programs often ask 8% to 10%.
- The compensating constraint is usually the drawdown type — many one-step programs use an intraday trailing drawdown.
- Time to funded is shorter, but time to first payout may not be.
Example
A $50,000 one-step account with a $3,000 target passes the moment the balance touches $53,000, provided the trailing drawdown was never hit and the minimum trading days are logged.
Also known as
- 1-step evaluation
- single phase challenge
- one phase challenge
Frequently asked questions
Is a one-step challenge easier than a two-step?
Not automatically. A one-step program removes the second target but often tightens the drawdown or adds payout-stage rules. The useful comparison is the profit target divided by the drawdown allowance, plus whatever conditions gate the first withdrawal.
Which firms offer one-step evaluations?
Most futures prop firms now run a one-step model as their standard product, and several offer a two-step or direct-funding alternative alongside it. Our firm directory lists the evaluation type for each program so you can filter by it.
Put this into practice
One-step challenge is described here as a plain-language educational definition. Firms, platforms, and account programs may apply different conditions or calculations. Verify the current official terms before using this definition to make an account decision.