Quick Start

Get from zero to your first simulated trade in just a few minutes. This guide walks you through creating an account, configuring a replay session, placing a trade, and reviewing your results.

Tip

No credit card is required to start. The free tier includes full access to the trading dashboard, charting, and manual order execution.

Prerequisites

• A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
• An internet connection
• That’s it — TestMax runs entirely in your browser

Your first trade

1. Create your account

   Head to testmax.io and click Get Started. You can sign up with your email address or use Google sign-in. You will land on the main dashboard after completing registration.

2. Open the trading dashboard

   From the sidebar, click Dashboard. This is where all trading happens. You will see the chart area in the center, the order entry panel on the right, and playback controls at the bottom.

3. Select an instrument

   Use the instrument selector at the top of the dashboard to pick what you want to trade. Start with one of the popular futures contracts:

   Symbol	Instrument	Tick Size	Tick Value
   NQ	Nasdaq 100 E-mini	0.25	$5.00
   ES	S&P 500 E-mini	0.25	$12.50
   GC	Gold Futures	0.10	$10.00
   CL	Crude Oil Futures	0.01	$10.00
   EURUSD	Euro/US Dollar	0.00005	$5.00

   If you are new to futures, NQ (Nasdaq 100 E-mini) is a great starting point. It has high liquidity, smooth price action, and a familiar underlying index.

4. Pick a date and timeframe

   Click the date picker to choose which historical session you want to replay. Then select your preferred chart timeframe from the timeframe dropdown:

   • 1s — Every second of price data (highest granularity)
   • 1m — One-minute candles (good for scalping practice)
   • 5m — Five-minute candles (ideal for day trading)
   • 15m / 30m — Intermediate timeframes for swing-style entries
   • 1h / 4h / 1D — Higher timeframes for context and structure

   Note

   For your first session, try a 5-minute chart. It gives you enough detail to see price action without being overwhelmed by noise.

5. Start the replay

   Press the Play button in the playback controls at the bottom of the chart, or hit the Space bar on your keyboard. The chart will begin advancing through historical data in real time. Use the speed slider to adjust playback speed from 1x (real-time) up to 50x (fast-forward).

   You can also use the Step button or press the right arrow key (→) to advance one bar at a time. This is useful for studying price action carefully before deciding on an entry.

6. Place your first trade

   When you see an opportunity, place a trade using one of these methods:

   Keyboard (fastest)
   • Press B to buy at market price
   • Press S to sell at market price
   • Press F to flatten (close) all positions
   Order panel
   • Set the quantity in the order entry panel on the right
   • Choose your order type (Market, Limit, Stop, or Bracket)
   • For limit and stop orders, enter your desired price
   • Click Buy or Sell to submit the order

   For your first trade, simply press B to buy one contract at market. You will see the position appear in the positions panel below the chart, along with a real-time P&L calculation.

7. Manage your position

   Watch the price move and your unrealized P&L update in real time. When you are ready to close the trade:

   • Press F to flatten all positions instantly
   • Or place an opposite order (press S if you are long) to close manually

   Your realized P&L will update in the account bar at the bottom of the screen.

8. Review your results

   After closing the trade, navigate to Analytics in the sidebar to review your performance. You will see:

   • Equity curve — A visual graph of your account balance over the session
   • Trade history — Every order and fill with timestamps, prices, and P&L
   • Session summary — Total P&L, win rate, average win/loss, and more

What to try next

Now that you have completed your first trade, here are some ways to deepen your practice:

Experiment with order types

Instead of market orders, try placing a limit order below the current price to buy on a pullback. Or set up a bracket order with a stop loss and take profit to practice disciplined risk management.

Change the playback speed

Start at 1x to experience the session in real time. Then try 10x or 25x to cover more ground and get more reps in. Use the step-forward feature (right arrow key) to pause and analyze before each bar.

Try different instruments

Each market has its own personality. NQ tends to trend strongly during the US session. GC (Gold) often reacts to global macro events. CL (Crude Oil) can be volatile around inventory reports. Practice across different instruments to build versatility.

Start a prop firm simulation

If your goal is to pass a prop firm evaluation, head to the Prop Firm Practice section and set up a TopStep-style simulation with real drawdown rules and profit targets.

Dashboard Overview Learn every area of the trading dashboard

Market Replay Deep dive into replay mechanics and controls

Order Entry Master all order types and bracket orders

Keyboard Shortcuts Full reference for all keyboard shortcuts

Common questions

Do I need to download anything?

No. TestMax runs entirely in your web browser. There is nothing to install or configure.

Is the data real?

Yes. TestMax replays actual historical market data captured at 1-second resolution. Prices, volumes, and order fills reflect what actually happened in the market on the date you select.

Can I go back and replay the same session?

Absolutely. You can replay any date as many times as you want. This is one of the core advantages of TestMax — deliberate practice on the exact same market conditions.

What happens to my trades?

All trades are saved automatically. You can review them in the Analytics section at any time. Your session history persists across logins.