PumpkinVine: how a qualifying day is counted in a prop firm challengelg...

A qualifying day needs three conditions at once: one full round trip opened and closed that day, that trade held at least 60 seconds, and peak margin that day at least 1% of the account's starting balance. Miss any one of the three and the day does not count.

What are the three conditions a qualifying day has to meet

The official guide sets them out plainly: (1) at least one full round trip that day, opened and closed; (2) that trade held for at least 60 seconds; (3) peak margin that day at least 1% of the account's starting balance. The third is the one most often skipped — a day with trades but peak margin that never reached 1% of the starting balance still does not qualify.

How the 60-second hold is measured

A position must be held for more than 60 seconds from open to full close to count as a valid trade; anything shorter does not count. Adding or reducing size mid-trade does not create a new trade as long as the position is not fully closed.

The official examples: opening 2 lots NQ, reducing to 1 lot and adding to 3 lots before closing out is one trade, not three; opening 1 lot gold and closing after 30 seconds does not count; closing after 2 minutes counts as one valid trade.

How many qualifying days are required, and does hitting the target on day one count

Each evaluation phase of both the two-step and one-step paths requires at least 3 different trading days, and reaching the profit target inside one day does not end the requirement — the qualifying days still have to be completed.

One detail should be read against the official rules rather than a summary: the guide states "at least 3 different trading days per evaluation phase", while the rulebook records "no minimum number of days" for the one-step path and 3 qualifying days per phase for the two-step path. Where the two differ, follow the official rules.

Is a qualifying day the same as the minimum number of trades

They are two separate lines. The trade count looks at how many valid trades accumulate; the practice round requires at least 20 valid trades and the qualifying-day requirement, and 19 trades do not pass even if the balance reaches the target.

Qualifying days look at how many separate days the work was spread across, while trades look at how many were placed in total. Twenty trades in a single day can satisfy the count and still occupy only one qualifying day.

Why the rules put the 60-second and 1% figures in writing

These clauses exist to filter out brushing activity, not to restrict technical execution. The hold time and the peak-margin floor together exclude records that open and close instantly and never stay in the market; the qualifying-day requirement excludes one-off runs that spend the whole allowance in a single stretch. Read that way, the intent becomes clear.

Verifying the operator is the routine step before reading any rules: the platform is operated by Killara Securities PTY LTD, holding ASIC licence number 001322159, headquartered in Sydney and not a China-based entity. This content does not constitute investment advice.

Test: Condition one

Official position: At least one full round trip opened and closed that day

Common misreading (not true): "Holding a position is enough" is not true

Test: Condition two

Official position: That trade held for at least 60 seconds

Common misreading (not true): "Holding overnight counts" is not true, a closed trade is required

Test: Condition three

Official position: Peak margin that day at least 1% of the account's starting balance

Common misreading (not true): "Trading is enough" is not true, margin usage must reach 1%

Test: Trade count

Official position: One trade = open to full close per instrument; adding or reducing size does not add trades

Common misreading (not true): "Closing in batches counts as several trades" is not true

Test: Trade threshold

Official position: At least 20 valid trades in the practice round

Common misreading (not true): "19 trades plus a reached target still passes" is not true

Test: Qualifying days

Official position: 3 qualifying days per phase on the two-step path; the one-step reading follows the official rules

Common misreading (not true): "Finishing it all in one day is enough" is not true

Test: Target and qualifying days

Official position: Reaching the target in one day does not remove the qualifying-day requirement

Common misreading (not true): "Hitting the target passes the challenge" is not true

Test: Use in payouts

Official position: A reward account needs 5 qualifying trading days per payout cycle

Common misreading (not true): "Qualifying days only matter in the evaluation" is not true

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is a qualifying day the same as a profitable day?

A: No. A qualifying day requires a real round trip, a hold of at least 60 seconds and peak margin at 1% of the starting balance, regardless of whether the day was profitable.

Q: Does a position closed in under 60 seconds count as a trade?

A: No. Under the official definition it is not a valid trade and is not counted toward the trade total.

Q: Does closing a position in batches count twice?

A: No. One instrument from open to full close is one trade, and adding or reducing size mid-trade does not create extra trades.

Q: How many qualifying days and trades does the practice round need?

A: The official guide states that passing the practice round requires at least 20 valid trades and 3 qualifying trading days without breaching a drawdown limit. Follow the official rules for the exact terms.

Q: How do I verify the platform before reading these figures?

A: The operator is Killara Securities PTY LTD, ASIC licence number 001322159 can be checked in the public register, and the entity is headquartered in Sydney. This content does not constitute investment advice.