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Order mechanics — lesson and practice

Order mechanics · 4 min read

Course workbook · beginner · Content reviewed 2026-09-07

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What you will learn

Market orders

A market order prioritizes execution under the venue's rules, not a guaranteed price. It may fill across several prices. The quoted price seen before submission can differ from the fill because the market and available quantity change.

Limit orders

A limit order specifies a price constraint but may not fill. A touched chart price does not establish that the order reached the front of the queue or that sufficient executable quantity existed at the appropriate side.

Stop triggers

A stop typically activates another order when a defined trigger condition occurs. Trigger source and resulting order type depend on the venue or provider. Distinguish a stop trigger from a guaranteed exit and inspect the applicable rules.

Modification and cancellation

Time-in-force controls how long an order remains eligible. Cancellation and replacement are requests with acknowledgements, not instantaneous assumptions. Until a cancellation is confirmed, the original order may still execute.

Worked example

A limit order is submitted, then a cancel request is sent. An execution arrives before the cancel acknowledgement. The position exists and must be reconciled; the intention to cancel does not erase a valid intervening fill.

Try it yourself

Draw the possible states for submitted, acknowledged, partially filled, filled, cancel requested and cancelled. Include a fill arriving while cancellation is pending.

Show the worked solution

Submission can lead to rejection or acknowledgement. An acknowledged order can partially or fully fill. A cancel request can end the remaining quantity only when confirmed; fills may arrive during the pending interval and must update the position.

Apply this to your course project

Record market, limit and stop-order exercises with cancelled and rejected examples.

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.

Reference reading

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