Routes through the courseThe fourteen lessons that get you from never having opened a chart to placing a sized trade on a demo account.
From zero in two weeks
Lessons on this route
14 lessons
- 1 · Lesson 1.1
What happens when you press Buy
An order leaves your platform, gets filled at a price, becomes an open position, and ends when you close it. Four steps, and every cost attaches to one of them.
- 2 · Lesson 1.2
Pairs and quotes: what 1.0850 means
A quote is the price of the first currency in the second. The number you see moves in the last decimal place, and that place has a money value.
- 3 · Lesson 1.3
What a pip is worth in money
A pip is the smallest standard price step. What it is worth depends on lot size and the pair, so the same twenty-pip move pays differently on different trades.
- 4 · Lesson 1.4
Lots: standard, mini and micro
A lot is how much of the instrument one trade controls. Standard is 100,000 units, mini is a tenth of that, micro a hundredth.
- 5 · Lesson 1.5
The three costs: spread, commission, swap
You pay the spread on entry, commission on some account types, and swap for every night a position stays open. All three are known before you trade.
- 6 · Lesson 1.7
Leverage and margin: how much of the trade is yours
Leverage sets how large a position your deposit can hold. Margin is the part of your money locked against it while the trade is open.
- 7 · Lesson 1.8
Order types: market, limit, stop
A market order takes the current price. A limit waits for a better one. A stop triggers once price reaches a worse one.
- 8 · Lesson 1.9
Stop loss and take profit
Two instructions you attach to a position: one closes it at a loss you chose in advance, the other at a profit you chose in advance.
- 9 · Lesson 1.10
MT4, MT5 and cTrader: which to pick
The three platforms differ in instruments, order handling and how they report costs. The choice is reversible; the account type behind it is less so.
- 10 · Lesson 1.12
Demo accounts: what they teach and where they lie
A demo teaches the platform and the arithmetic honestly. It cannot teach fills in a fast market, and it cannot teach how losing real money feels.
- 11 · Lesson 1.14
Opening an account and passing verification
What documents a regulated broker has to ask for, why it has to ask, and the checks that hold an application up.
- 12 · Lesson 1.15
Deposits and withdrawals with local methods
Which local payment methods reach a broker, how long each leg takes, and why a withdrawal usually has to go back the way the deposit came.
- 13 · Lesson 3.1
Risk per trade: the 1-2% rule
Deciding the money you can lose on one trade before deciding anything else. Everything downstream — size, stop, target — follows from that number.
- 14 · Lesson 3.2
Working out position size
Risk in money, divided by the stop distance in pips, divided by pip value. Three numbers you already have, in that order.
What the route expects you to have before you start
This route is for someone who has never opened a price chart. You do not need prior knowledge of markets. You need a phone or a computer, a stable internet connection, and about an hour a day for two weeks. The course uses EUR/USD as its example, quoted around 1.0850. Every lesson builds on the chart you see on your screen, not on theory alone.
Before lesson one, open a free chart from any platform that offers a demo. Do not create a live account yet. The route starts with what happens when you press Buy, so you need a chart in front of you to follow along. The chart is the first thing you look at in every lesson; the text explains what the chart already shows.
Have a notebook ready, either paper or a note file. Write down each new term in your own words. The route moves quickly from quotes to pips to position size, and writing the figures down helps you check your own understanding. You will not be asked to deposit money at any point in these fourteen lessons.
Why the lessons are ordered this way
The order follows the sequence of a single trade, from the moment you consider pressing Buy to the moment you set a stop loss. First you learn what a quote means, then what a pip is worth, then how lot size changes that value. Only after that do costs, leverage, and margin make sense, because each depends on the numbers before it.
Order types and stop loss come next because they are decisions you make before the trade, not after. Choosing a platform and opening a demo account come later so that you already know what you are looking at when the software asks you to set an order. Verification and local deposits come near the end, when you understand what a live account would involve.
The final two lessons, risk per trade and position size, are last because they use every earlier number. You cannot work out how many lots to trade until you know pip value, stop distance, and account size. If you jump to position size first, you will guess. Following the order means each lesson gives you the input for the next.
What you can do when the route is finished
By the end, you can read a EUR/USD quote, calculate pip value in pesos for a given lot size, and list the three costs that reduce your profit. You can explain the difference between margin and leverage, place a market, limit, or stop order, and attach a stop loss and take profit. You can also choose a platform and open a demo account.
You will have placed at least one sized trade on a demo account. That means you chose a risk percentage, calculated the number of lots from your stop distance, and entered the order without guessing. The trade is not real money, but the calculation is the same one you would use later. The route does not promise that the trade will win; it promises that you will know how the size was chosen.
You will also know how to open a live account, pass verification, and deposit or withdraw using GCash or bank transfer. The route does not recommend a broker. It explains what the steps involve, and notes that fees and processing times vary between providers. You finish with a repeatable process, not a signal or a prediction.
Doing it once, step by step
Follow these steps in order over two weeks. Each step uses the chart and the numbers from the lesson before it.
- 01
Open a demo chart for EUR/USD
Before lesson one, open a free demo account with any platform that offers EUR/USD. Do not deposit money. Find the chart and set it to a one-hour timeframe. You will use this same chart for the first four lessons.
- 02
Write down each new figure in pesos
After each lesson, write the example figure in your notebook. For a micro lot, one pip is about ₱0.55 when EUR/USD is near 1.0850. For a mini lot, it is about ₱5.50. For a standard lot, about ₱55. Check that your numbers match the lesson.
- 03
Calculate costs before you place any order
In lesson five, list the spread, any commission, and the swap for holding overnight. These vary between brokers, so use the demo platform's own figures. Subtract them from a hypothetical profit. If the result is negative, the trade needs a larger price move to break even.
- 04
Set a stop loss and take profit on every demo trade
From lesson eight onward, never place a demo order without both. The stop loss defines your risk in pips. The take profit defines your target. Write both down before you click. This habit carries over to any live account later.
- 05
Choose one platform and stay with it for the route
Lesson nine compares MT4, MT5, and cTrader. Pick one for the remaining lessons. Switching platforms mid-route adds new buttons and menus that distract from the calculations. You can change later, after the two weeks.
- 06
Size one demo trade using the 1-2% rule
In the final lesson, pick an account balance for your demo. Risk no more than 1-2% of it on one trade. Divide that peso amount by your stop distance in pips and by the pip value for your chosen lot. The result is your position size. Place the trade and record the calculation.
Questions that come up next
Do I need to deposit money to follow this route?
No. The route is built around a demo account, which uses practice funds, not your own. You will not be asked to deposit at any point in the fourteen lessons. Deposits and withdrawals are discussed only so you know how they work if you later choose a live account. The final lessons on risk and position size use the same demo account you started with.
What if I miss a day or two?
The two-week plan is a guide, not a deadline. If you miss a day, continue from where you stopped. The lessons are ordered so that each one gives you the numbers for the next, so skipping ahead is the main thing to avoid. Taking three weeks instead of two does not change what you learn.
How much time should I spend on each lesson?
About an hour a day is enough for most people. That includes opening the chart, reading the lesson, and writing the key figures in your notebook. Some lessons, like position size, may take longer because they involve calculation. If a lesson feels rushed, repeat it the next day before moving on.
Can I use a different currency pair instead of EUR/USD?
The route uses EUR/USD around 1.0850 for every example so the numbers stay consistent. You can apply the same ideas to other pairs, but the pip value and spread will differ. For learning, it is easier to stick to one pair until you are comfortable with the calculations. Changing pairs mid-route means recalculating examples each time.
What should I have ready before lesson one?
A phone or computer, a stable internet connection, and a free demo chart from any platform that offers one. Do not open a live account yet. Have a notebook or note file for writing terms and figures in your own words. That is all you need to start.
Does this route recommend a broker or platform?
No. The lessons explain what to look for in a platform and how to compare them, but they do not recommend a specific broker. Any broker regulated by the SEC Philippines is a starting point for your own research. The choice is yours, and it should be based on the costs and features you learn about in the route.
The words used on this page
- demo account
- A practice account that uses simulated money, not real funds. It lets you place trades and see the results without risking anything. It is useful for learning the platform, but it does not teach you how you react when real money is at stake.
- pip
- The smallest standard move in a currency pair's price. For EUR/USD, one pip is usually 0.0001. The value of a pip in pesos depends on your lot size and the exchange rate.
- leverage
- A ratio that lets you control a larger position with a smaller amount of your own money. It increases both potential gains and potential losses. The route explains how it works alongside margin.
- stop loss
- An order you set in advance to close a trade at a chosen loss level. It is a decision made before the trade, not after. It limits how much you can lose on a single position.
- position size
- The number of lots you trade, calculated from your account size, the risk you are willing to take, and the distance to your stop loss. Getting it right is the final lesson of the route because it uses every earlier number.
- verification
- The process of proving your identity to a broker before you can deposit or withdraw. It usually involves sending a photo of an ID and a proof of address. It is required by regulation and can take a few days.
What to take away
- This route is a two-week plan that starts with a chart and ends with a sized demo trade.
- The order matters: each lesson gives you the numbers you need for the next one.
- You do not need to deposit money at any point in the fourteen lessons.
- The final goal is to place a trade on a demo account with a position size you worked out yourself.