MT5 EA Backtest Checklist: What to Verify

Record the symbol, timeframe, testing period, starting balance, leverage, model or tick source, spread assumption, commission and any swap costs.

Keep the exact EA version and preset used in the test so the result can be reproduced or investigated later.

Review maximum drawdown, trade count, average trade, profit factor, consecutive losses and lot-sizing method alongside total return.

A very high return with very few trades or unusually aggressive sizing should be interpreted differently from a longer, more representative sample.

Historical simulation cannot perfectly reproduce future slippage, spread spikes, gaps, outages, broker execution or changing market regimes.

Use backtests for analysis and comparison, then use demo forward testing to observe behaviour in current market conditions before live deployment.