What you will learn
- Journal completeness
- Execution versus intention
- Rule adherence
- Readiness gaps
Journal completeness
Reconcile journal entries with the demo account's order and execution history. Match identifiers, direction, size and costs. Resolve mismatches before calculating statistics; otherwise the performance report may describe an incomplete or duplicated sample.
Execution versus intention
Review process quality separately from P&L. Classify whether the setup was eligible, size was correct and order state was understood. A losing trade can follow the plan, and a winning trade can reveal a serious violation.
Rule adherence
Summarize the complete defined sample, including no-trade cases and execution problems. Avoid claiming an edge from a short practice run. The educational objective is to demonstrate a reliable process and identify limitations.
Readiness gaps
Choose one improvement with an observable acceptance criterion. Examples include eliminating missing timestamps or preventing uncertain retries. Record the next review window so the change can be evaluated rather than merely announced.
Worked example
The demo statement contains twelve fills, but the journal contains thirteen because one execution was imported twice. Performance should not be interpreted until the duplicate is identified and the reconciliation is complete.
Try it yourself
Describe a duplicate check and explain how a repeated import can be distinguished from two genuinely separate fills at the same price.
Show the worked solution
Use stable execution identifiers and account identity where available. Matching price alone is insufficient because different fills can share a price. Preserve original records and document the reconciliation instead of deleting arbitrary rows.
Apply this to your course project
Submit a demo decision log with a no-trade decision and a loss review.
Keep the calculation inputs, assumptions and decisions with your work. Practical exercises are self-reviewed; the scored knowledge checks assess the questions shown, not an independent certification of practical competence.