Backtest Triage LITE Common Questions & Example Scenarios
Use this guide when you have a product-use question, want to understand a workbook result, or want to see how the published checks behave in common situations.
Common Questions
1. What should I open first?
Start with the Quick Start Guide for a short overview. Then open the main Backtest Triage LITE workbook and begin on START HERE. The Sample Filled Example is a reference copy that shows what a completed workbook and its Review Results look like.
2. Excel opened the file in Protected View. Is something wrong?
No. Protected View is a normal Excel security feature for downloaded files. Extract the Customer Pack ZIP before opening the workbook. If you are working in the main workbook and Excel shows Enable Editing, use it before entering your figures. If you are only viewing the Sample Filled Example, you do not need to edit that file.
3. Which cells should I type in?
Enter information only in the gray input cells on START HERE. The blue calculated cells update automatically after the required inputs are entered. Formula and result areas are protected so they are not accidentally changed.
4. Where do the numbers come from?
Use the summary figures from your own completed backtest or strategy report. Backtest Triage LITE does not import market data, run a backtest, optimize parameters, or generate trading signals.
5. What if my platform uses a different name for a metric?
Different platforms may label or calculate metrics differently. Use the Backtest Triage Glossary to compare definitions. If you are not sure that a platform value matches the requested metric, do not guess just to fill the cell.
6. What if one of my required figures is missing?
Enter only figures you actually have. Review Results can remain blank when one or more required inputs are missing. Blank results usually mean START HERE is incomplete, not that the workbook is broken.
7. Why are my Review Results blank even though I entered several numbers?
First check that all required START HERE inputs are present. Also enter the actual Net Profit from the backtest. A zero or negative Net Profit does not meet the workbook’s basic Net Profit check and may leave the Review Results output blank. Do not change a real backtest value just to force an output.
8. What does Basic Review Status mean?
Basic Review Status reports whether the entered figures meet the workbook’s basic published checks. It is a workbook result, not an approval, validation, recommendation, or prediction about a trading strategy.
9. What does “Meets Basic Checks” mean?
It means the entered figures met the basic published checks used by this version of the workbook. It does not mean the strategy is proven, profitable in the future, safe for live trading, or recommended for trading.
10. What is Review Evidence Level?
Review Evidence Level describes how much of the workbook’s basic-check evidence is present. It is separate from Basic Review Status. Read both outputs together rather than treating either one as a final conclusion.
11. What are Basic Flags, Basic Flag Points, and Basic Flag Level?
Basic Flags identify areas that may need attention under the workbook’s published checks. Basic Flag Points summarize those findings using the workbook’s internal weighting, and Basic Flag Level groups the total. These are educational review aids, not trading signals.
12. Why did I change Win Rate and my Basic Review Status did not change?
Not every START HERE input is itself a basic published check. Basic Review Status is driven by the checks listed on the Basic Checks tab. Other entered figures can still provide context for your own review even when they do not change Basic Review Status.
13. What do Suggested Review Steps mean?
Suggested Review Steps give a general next review step based on the workbook’s checks. They are not instructions to buy, sell, hold, trade, or move a strategy into live trading.
14. Can I use one workbook for several backtests?
Use one completed backtest at a time and keep market, timeframe, and assumptions consistent for the review. For clean records, save a separate copy for each backtest you want to keep or compare later.
15. Can Support tell me whether I should trade a strategy?
No. Support can help with download access, opening files, workbook mechanics, the published checks, and product-use questions. Support does not assess or recommend a customer’s trading strategy.
16. Can I share the workbook with someone else?
The workbook is licensed for personal educational use by the purchaser. Do not resell, redistribute, upload, publish, or share the workbook or its contents without written permission.
Example Scenarios
These examples show how to read the workbook. They are not examples of strategies to trade.
Scenario 1 - A required input is missing
Situation: You enter most START HERE figures but leave one required input blank.
Workbook behavior: Review Results may stay blank. The Review Results page specifically notes that blank results usually mean one or more required inputs are still missing.
How to use it: Return to START HERE and check the required gray input cells. Enter only real figures from your backtest; do not invent a value to complete the page.
Scenario 2 - Net Profit is zero or negative
Situation: The backtest has zero or negative Net Profit.
Workbook behavior: The Basic Checks tab states that Net Profit must be greater than 0 to meet the basic Net Profit check. Review Results may remain blank for a zero or negative Net Profit.
How to use it: Keep the actual backtest value. A blank or limited output is information about this workbook’s rules, not a reason to alter the backtest result.
Scenario 3 - The sample size is below the trade-count check
Situation: The backtest has fewer than 30 trades, while the other entered figures may look acceptable.
Workbook behavior: Basic Review Status reports “Needs More Review (Sample Size),” and the sample-size area is identified for attention.
How to use it: The workbook’s suggested direction is to collect or test more trades before spending more time on the results.
Scenario 4 - Profit / Drawdown is below the published check
Situation: Net Profit is positive, but Profit / Drawdown is below 1.00.
Workbook behavior: That input does not meet the basic Profit / Drawdown check and can appear as a Basic Flag.
How to use it: Review the relationship between net profit and maximum drawdown rather than judging the backtest from Net Profit alone.
Scenario 5 - Profit Factor is below the published check
Situation: Profit Factor is below 1.20.
Workbook behavior: Profit Factor does not meet the basic published check and can appear as a Basic Flag.
How to use it: Treat the result as a reason for further review. The workbook does not decide whether the strategy should be traded or discarded.
Scenario 6 - Avg Profit / Trade is below the published check
Situation: Avg Profit / Trade is below 5.00.
Workbook behavior: Avg Profit / Trade does not meet the basic published check and can appear as a Basic Flag.
How to use it: Review that per-trade figure in the context of the rest of the backtest. LITE does not predict whether future or live results will remain profitable.
Scenario 7 - More than one area is below the checks
Situation: Two or more published-check areas fall below their thresholds.
Workbook behavior: Basic Flags can list more than one area. Basic Flag Points combine the workbook’s internal weighting, and Basic Flag Level groups the total.
How to use it: Use the list to organize further review. The points are not a strategy grade, a probability, or a recommendation.
Scenario 8 - The backtest meets the basic checks but Evidence Level is Medium
Situation: In the included Sample Filled Example, Net Profit is 1,200, Max Drawdown is 400, Profit Factor is 1.60, Number of Trades is 45, Win Rate is 62%, and Avg Trade is 26.67.
Workbook behavior: The example shows “Meets Basic Checks,” no Basic Flags, and a Review Evidence Level of Medium.
How to use it: “Meets Basic Checks” and “Review Evidence Level” answer different questions. Even with no Basic Flags, the workbook still tells you to continue review with additional testing, stress testing, and comparison across more market conditions. It does not validate the strategy or recommend live trading.
The figures shown are illustrative examples of the workbook’s output based on sample inputs. They are not the results of any actual trading account and are not a prediction of future results. Past, simulated, hypothetical, and backtested results do not guarantee future performance.