A+ ICT Entry Checklist - ICT Concepts

Main ideas / concepts taught

The video presents an “A+ ICT Entry Checklist” for trading (ICT = Inner Circle Trading). The creator’s overall process is:

• Identify an official market bias/direction
• Use a checklist to confirm multiple price-structure and mean-reversion conditions before entering
• Build the entry by blending 1–3 related technical concepts (based on what provides the best confluence)
• Emphasize risk management, balancing:
  • risk-to-reward
  • against the probability of getting filled

The checklist (concepts in order)

1. Stop raid (stop hunt / liquidity raid)

   • Meaning: a low/high (stop level) is taken before the market “displaces” (moves directionally).
   • In other words: liquidity is pulled first, then direction follows.

2. Market structure shift (MSS) / Displacement

   • Meaning: a previous high is broken aggressively and moved through (directional expansion).
   • This confirms the move is a structure change, not just noise.

3. Return into a favorable discount (or equilibrium area)

   • The creator prefers price to move back into the “discount” portion of a price range.
   • If price goes too high (farther from discount), the setup becomes less attractive.
   • OTE (Optimal Trade Entry) is specifically referenced to narrow what “discount” means.

4. PD array (price delivery area) using one or more candidate zones

   • Preferred PD-array elements:
     • Fair Value Gap (FVG)
     • order block
     • or similar PD-array concepts
   • Also acceptable contributors:
     • OTE or breaker block can function as part of the PD-array region
   • The video stresses these concepts can be used:
     • individually as an entry model, or
     • blended together (commonly 1–3 concepts in the same area)

How entries are chosen (method)

• The creator blends concepts depending on which confluence is most compelling.
• Example blending mentioned:
  • Fair Value Gap + Optimal Trade Entry (OTE)
  • “Box setup” + PD-array concept

The core decision rule involves risk-to-reward vs. probability of getting filled:

• As the entry gets closer to the stop loss:
  • risk-to-reward increases
  • but fill likelihood decreases
• Entries are chosen to balance:
  • what they like (confluence / PD array)
  • whether price is likely to actually reach the entry

Detailed examples shown

Example 1: NASDAQ (15-minute) — FVG fill and structure shift after liquidity raid

Setup theme

• Price reaches a daily fair value gap fill area
• Sell-side liquidity reacts first
• Then comes market structure shift

Entry concept options listed

• Discount/premium positioning
  • Long in the green “discount” section
  • Avoid longing too high
• Use OTE to narrow the discount zone
• Identify:
  • Fair value gap
  • Order block (down-close candle)
  • Breaker block (up-close candles before the raid)
  • Box setup area

Execution example

• Mark out OTE
• Look for PD array around it (e.g., FVG inside order block, aligned with box setup)
• Enter near the confluence region
• Stop placed at/near a recent low
• Targets: buy-side liquidity above
• Mentions partial management and possible break-even after a partial

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Example 2: NASDAQ-style (5-minute) — breaker block + FVG narrowing

Setup theme

• Equal lows / liquidity below
• Aggressive move away (displacement) from buy-side liquidity
• Breaker block identified
• Fair value gap inside the breaker block

Entry logic

• Prefer price to return to:
  • the breaker block, and ideally
  • specifically into the fair value gap

Tightening levels shown

• Wider breaker-block entry vs.
• Narrower FVG entry
• Discussion of avoiding taking too much risk / reaching earlier lows

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Example 3: ES (1-minute first) — MSS/raid with PD array at OTE

Setup theme

• A high is resting, then broken and closed back in (stop raid / liquidity raid concept)
• Then structure shift occurs

Execution logic

• After the low forms:
  • mark Fib
  • identify OTE
• In the OTE area, identify:
  • breaker block
  • fair value gap
• Price returns to fill the FVG and go into OTE before moving lower

Stop/risk structure

• Risk described around the identified level(s), shown as a range tied to the PD-array zone

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Example 3 (same concept, visualized on 5-minute) — order block entry targeting new lows

• Identify displacement down and retrace into OTE
• PD array: order block
• Enter on the order block
• Target: new lows
• Stop: on the order block high

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Example 4: NASDAQ (1-minute) — range deviation / manipulation then liquidity run (“box setup”)

Setup theme

• Price goes briefly a tick below a low (not counted as displacement by the creator)
• Creator requires stop raid prior to displacement
• Describes “distribution/manipulation” behavior:
  • accumulation/distribution framework
  • looking for a retest of manipulation

Execution

• Candles do not close below the old low (supporting retention of the range)
• Liquidity above remains, then price moves higher

Important rule stated

• Even without the full “lower-timeframe liquidity raid prior to displacement,” the creator includes this as a box-setup exception to illustrate a liquidity-run entry style.

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Example 5: ES (daily → hourly → 15-minute → 5-minute) — volume imbalance, equilibrium, then entry in discount

Setup theme across timeframes

• Daily: identify volume imbalance / point of interest
• Hourly:
  • mark stop area
  • displacement up
  • mark equilibrium (includes sell-side liquidity)
• 15-minute:
  • aggressive move below sell-side liquidity into the point of interest
  • displacement back up

Key filtering rule

• Even though an FVG exists, it fails criteria because it lies in the premium of the range

Refinement on lower timeframe

• Move to 5-minute
• Remove/hide the “premium” area
• Find an FVG now located in a more favorable position
• Identify:
  • order block
  • fair value gap in the appropriate zone

Entry and risk management

• Enter at PD-array confluence
• Stop on/near order block low
• Partial strategy:
  • move stop to break-even after price reaches initial highs
• Let “runners run” (trend continuation after initial target)

Final checklist recap (as stated at the end)

The creator’s approach depends on:

• Stop raid
• Shift in structure
• Return to equilibrium or OTE
• Some PD array that “catches your eye”
• Manage risk to achieve “solid wrist reward” (risk/reward)

Speakers / sources featured

• Speaker: “everyone” / the channel host/creator (no specific name given in the subtitles)
• Sources / instruments referenced (not speakers):
  • NASDAQ
  • ES (E-mini S&P / “ES” futures)
  • Chart timeframes: daily, hourly, 15-minute, 5-minute, 1-minute
  • Tools/concepts: Fib, OTE, FVG, order block, breaker block, box setup, liquidity (buy-side/sell-side)