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How to Trade Quotex — Beginner Guide (2026)

Last Updated: 19 May 2026 · By Trading Research Team · Reading time: 7 min

Quotex is a "fixed-time" (digital options) platform: you pick an asset, predict whether the price will close higher or lower than the current price after a fixed number of seconds or minutes, and you receive a fixed payout (typically 80–95% of stake) if correct or lose the stake if wrong. This guide walks you through the entire process from opening an account to placing a real trade, with a strict focus on the things that actually matter for survival.

Step 1 — Open a free demo account

Register on Quotex and immediately switch the account selector at the top of the dashboard to Demo Account. The demo gives you $10,000 in virtual funds, real-market prices and identical trade execution. Trade only on the demo until you have at least 100 logged trades with a positive expected value. No exceptions.

Step 2 — Pick one market and one timeframe

The single biggest mistake new traders make is jumping between currency pairs, crypto, stocks and commodities. Pick one. The most liquid options for beginners are EUR/USD (forex) or BTC/USD (crypto). Pair the asset with a single chart timeframe — usually 1-minute candles for 60-second trades, or 5-minute candles for 5-minute trades. Stick to that combination for at least 2 weeks.

Step 3 — Define one setup before you trade

Write down, in advance, the exact conditions that will trigger an entry. A simple template:

Asset:       EUR/USD
Timeframe:   1-minute
Setup:       Price rejects the 50-period EMA twice in 10 candles.
Entry:       UP after the second rejection candle closes above the EMA.
Expiry:      60 seconds.
Trade size:  2% of balance, fixed.
  

The setup itself does not have to be brilliant. What matters is that it is repeatable and you can measure whether it works.

Step 4 — Place the trade

On the trading panel, set the trade amount, set the expiration time, and click UP (Higher) or DOWN (Lower). The countdown begins immediately. Do not change anything once the timer starts. Each impulsive override is a sample-corruption that destroys your ability to evaluate the setup.

Step 5 — Wait and journal

Record every trade in a simple spreadsheet: date, asset, setup, entry price, direction, expiry, result, P&L. After 20 trades, calculate your win rate. Digital options need at least 57% win rate at a typical 85% payout just to break even. Below that, no amount of psychology coaching saves you.

Step 6 — Manage risk

Step 7 — Review weekly

Every Sunday, open the journal. Look at three things: did you follow the setup, did you respect risk, and is the strategy still positive expectancy. Most beginners drift away from the plan within the first month; the journal is the only mechanism that catches that drift early.

The five mistakes that wipe out beginners

  1. Increasing trade size after a loss ("martingale"). Wipes accounts mathematically; do not do it.
  2. Switching assets after every loss. Destroys sample size.
  3. Trading during news releases on a 60-second expiry. Spreads spike, slippage destroys your edge.
  4. Accepting deposit bonuses without reading the turnover terms.
  5. Skipping the demo phase. The market does not care that you "feel ready".
Risk reality check: Industry-wide retail loss rates on digital options are between 70% and 85%. The product can be traded profitably, but the base rate is brutally against beginners. Treat your first real-money deposit as money you have already mentally written off.

Related guides

Open free demo account on Quotex →

Disclaimer: This page is an unofficial affiliate guide. We are not the official Quotex platform. Trading involves substantial risk; most retail traders lose money. The content here is educational and not financial advice.