If there's one tool that quietly separates traders who pass evaluations from those who blow them, it's micro futures. Most blown accounts come down to sizing too big for the drawdown — and micro futures exist precisely to fix that. Understanding micro futures isn't optional for a prop trader; it's the difference between surviving a bad day and ending your run.
I'm the founder of FundedScore, and I size nearly every evaluation with micros. Here's what they are and why they matter so much for funded trading.
Micro futures at a glance:
- A micro contract is 1/10th the size of its E-mini equivalent
- Key ones: MES (Micro S&P), MNQ (Micro Nasdaq), MGC (Micro Gold), MCL (Micro Crude)
- Smaller size = finer risk control = easier to stay inside your drawdown
- Every firm we track supports micros and micro scaling
What are micro futures?
Micro futures are smaller versions of standard ("E-mini") futures contracts — typically one-tenth the size. Where one E-mini S&P 500 contract (ES) moves $12.50 per tick, the Micro E-mini S&P (MES) moves just $1.25 per tick. Same market, same chart, same hours — one-tenth the dollar risk per tick.
The common micros prop traders use:
- MES — Micro E-mini S&P 500
- MNQ — Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100
- MGC — Micro Gold
- MCL — Micro Crude Oil
- M2K — Micro E-mini Russell 2000
For a complete beginner on the model itself, pair this with what is a futures prop firm.
Why micro futures are perfect for prop firm evaluations
Here's the core insight: passing an evaluation is a risk-control problem, and micros give you precise control. On a $50,000 account with a $2,000 drawdown, trading a single full-size ES contract means a routine 20-point swing is $1,000 — half your buffer gone in one normal move. The same trade in MES risks $100. You can be wrong several times and still have a healthy cushion.
That precision is why I tell every newer trader to start on micros. It lets you:
- Risk a small, fixed fraction of your drawdown per trade — the foundation of how to pass a futures prop firm evaluation.
- Survive losing streaks. Smaller size means more trades before trouble, so a normal cold streak doesn't end the account.
- Scale up gradually. Add micros one at a time as your account grows, instead of jumping to a full contract.
Micros and your drawdown type
Micros pair especially well with the rule that fails most traders. On a trailing drawdown, giving back open profit can fail you while green — micros let you take profit in controlled chunks without a single contract's swing tripping the floor. On a static or end-of-day drawdown, micros let you press a good day without overshooting. Either way, smaller size buys you room. If that's unfamiliar, read trailing vs static drawdown.
This is also why micros are the engine of scaling a funded account: copying a micro-sized strategy across many accounts multiplies a controlled edge instead of a reckless one.
How to actually use micros to pass
- Start with 1–3 micros on a $50K account, not a full E-mini.
- Define risk per trade in dollars, then size your micros to fit it (e.g., risk $150 = a defined MES stop in micros).
- Add size only as your buffer grows. Bank profit first, then press.
- Use micros to bank partials so winners don't fully round-trip on a trailing drawdown.
A concrete example shows the power. With a 20-point stop on the Nasdaq, one full-size NQ contract risks about $400 — nearly the whole buffer on a tight account. The same 20-point stop in MNQ (Micro Nasdaq) risks about $40. That 10× difference means you can take ten controlled MNQ trades for the risk of a single NQ trade, turning one make-or-break bet into a survivable series. And because micros are highly liquid, you give up almost nothing on fills to get that control.
Micro futures aren't a beginner's consolation prize — they're the professional tool for trading a prop account with surgical risk control. Master them and the evaluation stops being a gamble and becomes a process. See which firms support micro scaling in our comparison table.
Frequently asked questions
What are micro futures? Micro futures are contracts one-tenth the size of standard E-mini futures. For example, the Micro E-mini S&P (MES) moves $1.25 per tick versus $12.50 for the full-size ES — same market, far smaller dollar risk.
Why do prop traders use micro futures? Because passing an evaluation is about risk control. Micros let you size precisely and keep each trade's risk small relative to your drawdown, so a normal losing streak doesn't end the account.
Can you trade micros on a prop firm account? Yes — every futures prop firm we track supports micro contracts and micro scaling. They're the recommended way to size an evaluation, especially for beginners.
What is the difference between micro and mini futures? A micro contract is one-tenth the size of its E-mini equivalent. The Micro E-mini S&P (MES) moves $1.25 per tick versus $12.50 for the full-size ES — same market, one-tenth the dollar risk per tick.
How many micro contracts should a beginner trade? Start with 1–3 micros on a $50K account and size to a small fixed dollar risk per trade — not a full E-mini. Add size only as your buffer grows; precise sizing is what keeps you inside the drawdown.
Related guides
- How to pass a futures prop firm evaluation
- Trailing vs Static Drawdown explained
- How to scale a funded futures account (50K to 500K)
- What is a futures prop firm & how do funded accounts work?
Trading futures carries substantial risk of loss. Nothing here is financial advice.
