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Synthetic indices course: syllabus and method
Synthetic indices have two features that justify a dedicated course: the price is generated by the broker (there is no underlying asset or news to read) and they are open 24/7 (there is no bell that forces you to stop). This is the syllabus followed to turn those two features into a measurable method.
Syllabus in eight blocks
| Block | What you learn | How it is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The product | What a synthetic index is, who generates it, which families exist (Volatility, Crash and Boom, Step, Jump, DEX, Range Break and each broker's own) and what the number in the name really means. | Identify instruments and families on the platform and explain what differentiates them. |
| 2. Contract and platform | Locate the symbol specification and read contract size, tick, tick value, margin, spread and trading hours. Understand symbols with different names across brokers. | Your own fact sheet filled in with the data for your instruments (not copied from any website). |
| 3. Risk and size | Risk per trade, daily and weekly limits, why the chosen percentage matters and how risk doubles with correlated positions. | A series of correctly solved position-sizing calculations for several instruments. |
| 4. Structure and invalidation | Define where the idea breaks before thinking about entry; relevant ranges, breakouts and corrections; set a target and its relationship with risk. | Charts marked with written rules before entry (without ambiguity). |
| 5. Position management | Break-even, partials and structure-based trailing; the rule of never moving the stop against you and why excessive intervention destroys measurement. | Journal with the management applied and the reason for each action. |
| 6. Measurement | Expectancy in R, payoff, maximum losing streak, drawdown and review in blocks of 50 trades to decide whether a variant is still alive. | Your own results report with the same numbers used in class. |
| 7. Automation | What to delegate to an MT5 expert advisor (size, stops, limits, trading hours) and what not to; in-house tools and their installation. | Tool installed and tested on demo, with risk calculated by the EA itself. |
| 8. Final review | Consolidate rules, limits and daily routine; decide when to move to live using criteria (minimum sample and acceptable drawdown). | Written trading plan and trading audited against the plan. |
How to practise
- Demo account with the same rules that you would use live, including the calculated size and the log.
- Rules written before looking at the chart: if a rule needs interpretation (“if it looks strong”), it is no good for measuring.
- One family of setups per period: mixing criteria prevents you from knowing what worked.
- Log by type of trade (with an event inside the trade and without it, on instruments such as Crash and Boom) and by time slot.
- Reviews in blocks of 50 trades, comparing what you expected with what happened.
The trading block draws on the public guides: lot size calculation, risk management y why the martingale wipes out the account.
Who it suits and who it doesn't
| Profile | Fit |
|---|---|
| Someone starting from scratch who wants order | High: the programme starts with risk, not entries. |
| Someone already trading forex who wants to add synthetics | High: you have to relearn size and trading hours (the market doesn't close and there are no catalysts). |
| Someone looking for signals or quick results | None: no signals are given here and no results are promised. |
| Someone who wants to delegate everything to a bot | Low: automating makes sense after you have a measured system, not before. |
What it doesn't include
- Signals, “picks” groups or copied trades.
- Promises of profitability or results figures without risk context.
- A single 'winning system': each student builds and measures their own using the same skeleton.
How to access it
The guides are free and open: start with what synthetic indices are. Supported training, live classes and the tools are managed from the private student area; current plans and conditions can be consulted in the plans section or by writing to soporte@shefatradingacademy.com.
Frequently asked questions
What does the syllabus include?
Eight blocks: product and families, contract and platform, risk and sizing, structure and invalidation, position management, measurement, automation and final review of the plan.
Do you practise on live or demo?
You practise on demo with the same rules and record-keeping as on live, and move to live when trading is measured: minimum sample, risk per trade and limits defined in writing.
How is progress checked?
With verifiable deliverables: your own contract sheet, position size calculations, written rules and a journal with results in R. No 'attending class' as a measure.
Does it work for forex or gold?
The method's skeleton does; what changes are each market's own features (hours, point value, cost and catalysts). See gold y synthetics versus forex.
Do you teach automation?
Yes: what to delegate to an EA (sizing, stops, limits, schedules) and what not to. Automation is applied to an already measured system, never before.
Before paying anything, read for free
All the syllabus guides are published and open. If they are useful to you, supported training makes sense; if they are not, you have saved your money.
Keep reading
- Training in synthetic indices, forex and goldThe seven blocks of the full programme and the three learning formats.
- What is SHEFA Trading AcademyWho teaches, with what criteria and with what tools.
- What synthetic indices areThe basis of block 1, summarised and with links to each family.
- How to trade Volatility 75 step by stepBlocks 2 to 5 applied to a specific instrument.