Reading charts is one of those skills that looks intimidating from the outside but becomes second nature with the right framework. In this article we'll walk through how the mentors at Excellent Global break down a chart in under 60 seconds.
1. Start with structure
Before you draw a single trendline, ask yourself: is the market making higher highs and higher lows, lower highs and lower lows, or chopping sideways? Structure is the foundation everything else sits on.
2. Mark the levels that matter
Every chart has 3–5 key levels — prior swing highs, swing lows, daily opens, and round numbers. Mark them, and ignore the rest. Less is more.
3. Wait for the reaction
A level only becomes useful when price reacts to it. Patience here separates the consistent traders from the impatient ones.
The chart isn't telling you what will happen — it's showing you where to pay attention.
Practice this routine on 10 charts a day for two weeks and you'll feel a noticeable shift in how quickly you read price action.