Find answers to common questions about our Trading Simulator, our complimentary, official, professional-grade platform that enables traders to practice trading futures using real market data from the world’s leading derivatives marketplace.
How to get access and manage your Trading Simulator account
- How do I create an account?
- Is the Trading Simulator free to use?
- How do I reset my practice account balance?
- Can I reset my Challenge account?
- How do I unenroll from a Trading Challenge?
- How do I manage contract expiration?
How to start trading, what terms to know, key features
- How do I start trading in the simulator?
- What kind of data is used in the simulator?
- Can I track my performance?
- What is average PX?
- Why does the positions window display zero buys or zero sells when I have an open position?
- How do I save my chart settings?
- Can I load chart settings for different products?
- What is 1-click?
- How many workspaces can I create?
- What happened to all of the strike prices in the option window?
- How can I test trading strategies?
How to contact support and access more resources
How to get access and manage your Trading Simulator account
1. How do I create an account?
To create an account, simply visit cmegroup.com and click on the "Log in" button then click “Create an account.” Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration process.
2. Is the CME Group Trading Simulator free to use?
Yes, our Trading Simulator is currently offered at no cost, providing an accessible entry point for newer futures traders.
3. How do I reset my practice account balance?
You can reset your practice account balance at any time by clicking on your profile name in the upper right corner and selecting the "Reset" button.
4. Can I reset my Challenge account?
Challenge accounts cannot be reset.
5. How do I unenroll from a Trading Challenge?
You can't unenroll on your own. Send an email to institute@cmegroup.com with your registered email address.
6. How do I manage contract expiration?
Pay special attention to contract expiration dates in the simulator. The simulator does not automatically save profits and losses when contracts expire. Users must exit all open positions prior contract expiry.
How to start trading, what terms to know, key features
7. How do I start trading in the simulator?
Once you have an account and are logged in, you can start trading by selecting products from the markets tab to start placing buy or sell orders. You can also trade from the price ladder and directly from the chart view. Additionally, you can create watchlists for your preferred products and place trades from there.
8. What kind of data is used in the simulator?
The simulator uses real market data with a 10-minute delay to provide an accurate trading environment in practice mode. For users enrolled in a Trading Challenge, the platform will use real-time market data.
9. Can I track my performance?
Yes, the simulator provides detailed performance tracking tools, including trade history, portfolio value and profit/loss statements.
10. What is average PX?
Average PX (price) is the average price for all open positions of a particular contract. This number will average the price and can display a price that may not be an exact tick value. All trades are tracked and matched using exact tick values.
11. Why does the positions window display zero buys or zero sells when I have an open position?
The position window will display activity from the current trading session. The buy and sell columns represent activity from the current session, if a position is held over multiple trading sessions and no additional trades are placed then the system will display zero active transactions.
12. How do I save my chart settings?
The chart window has a “save” feature that will store the indicators (studies) applied to the current chart.
13. Can I load chart settings for different products?
Yes, indicators (studies) from other charts can be loaded to the current chart window using the save > open layout feature.
14. What is 1-click?
1-click trading enables users to execute a trade with a single click without displaying a secondary confirmation of the trade. Order submissions are based on settings and selections the user configures prior to execution.
15. How many workspaces can I create?
The simulator can accommodate up to 10 different workspaces.
16. What happened to all of the strike prices in the option window?
The options window will display a limited number of strikes above/below the at-the-money (ATM) point. As the ATM moves up and down throughout the session, the available strike prices will also adjust.
17. How can I test trading strategies?
You can test trading strategies by using the Simulator's detailed performance tracking features. The Simulator records your trade history, portfolio value and profit/loss statements.
By applying technical indicators to your charts and saving your workspace layouts, you can backtest and forward-test your methodologies against real market data to see which strategies yield the highest probability of success.
Visit our User Guide to find out more about using these tools.
How to contact support and access more resources
18. What if I encounter technical issues?
If you encounter any technical issues, contact our support team via institute@cmegroup.com.
19. Are there educational resources available?
Yes, we provide various educational resources, including tutorials, articles and webinars in order to help you learn about trading.
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All examples in this report are hypothetical interpretations of situations and are used for explanation purposes only. The views in this report reflect solely those of the author and not necessarily those of CME Group or its affiliated institutions. This report and the information herein should not be considered legal advice, investment advice or the results of actual market experience. Where regulatory matters are summarized, they represent CME Group’s good faith understanding of the applicable requirements.