Every ICT trader eventually reaches the same frustrating moment. They have marked the order blocks, the FVGs, the breaker blocks. Price arrives at the zone. They enter. Price blows straight through. The level they marked was correct but it was not the right type of level at the right context - and there was no confirmation trigger to filter the entry.
PD Arrays solve the first problem. CISD solves the second. Together, they give you both the address and the confirmation that someone is home.
PD Arrays give you the address book. CISD tells you when someone's home.
The Only Entry Model You Need (Weekly Candle + CISD Strategy)
What PD Arrays Actually Are
PD Arrays - Premium and Discount Arrays - is ICT's name for a ranked hierarchy of price levels where institutional order flow is most likely to react. The concept is rooted in a simple premise: not all support and resistance levels are equal. Some have institutional footprints. Some are retail zones that institutions will run through to harvest liquidity.
The PD array framework gives you a way to rank levels before price arrives. A level near the top of the hierarchy in the right premium/discount context is a high-probability reaction zone. A level near the bottom, in the wrong context, is noise.
The PD Array Hierarchy
Listed from strongest to weakest. The higher a level sits in this hierarchy, the more likely institutions are present at that level:
- 1.CISD Levels - Prior areas where a confirmed change in state of delivery occurred. Institutions were already active here. Price has a memory of institutional commitment at these levels.
- 2.Breaker Blocks - Failed order blocks that price traded through, creating a change of character. The original level flips from support to resistance (or resistance to support).
- 3.Order Blocks with FVG Overlap - An order block that has a fair value gap inside or immediately adjacent to it. The overlap of two PD arrays creates a higher-probability confluence zone.
- 4.Mitigation Blocks - Former order blocks that were partially mitigated but not fully traded through. Institutional positions were partially filled here.
- 5.Fair Value Gaps (FVG) - Three-candle imbalances where the middle candle left a price gap. Institutions often return to fill the imbalance.
- 6.Rejection Blocks - The wicks of significant candles at swing highs and lows. Lower probability than FVGs but still relevant at HTF levels.
- 7.Void Areas - General price areas with low historical trading activity. The weakest array type.
Hierarchy Rule
When multiple PD arrays overlap at the same price level, that confluence increases the probability of a reaction. A CISD level that also contains a breaker block and an FVG is significantly stronger than any single array alone.
Premium vs Discount: The Context Filter
Knowing the PD array hierarchy is not enough. You also need to know whether price is in a premium or discount context at the time. This is what the premium/discount framework provides.
In any defined dealing range - the range between a significant swing high and swing low - the midpoint is equilibrium. Above equilibrium, price is at a premium. Below equilibrium, price is at a discount.
- →Bullish bias: you only buy at discount (below the 50% level of the dealing range). Buying at premium in a bullish market means you are entering after the move, not before it.
- →Bearish bias: you only sell at premium (above the 50% level). Selling at discount in a bearish market is the same problem in reverse.
- →Any PD array at discount in a bullish context is a valid watch level. That same PD array at premium is not - it is a potential sell setup, not a buy setup.
Using PD Arrays in Practice
The practical workflow is this: identify your dealing range and mark equilibrium. Then scan for PD arrays in the discount or premium zone that matches your bias. Rank the arrays by hierarchy. The top-ranked array in the correct context is your watch level.
When price arrives at that level, you do not enter immediately. You wait for CISD - the displacement candle confirming that institutions are active and price is committing to a new delivery direction. The array identifies the zone. CISD confirms the timing.
| PD Array Type | Probability Tier | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| CISD Level | Highest | Any timeframe, confirmed institutional activity |
| Breaker Block | Very High | After a CHoCH - prior OB that failed and flipped |
| OB + FVG Overlap | High | When an order block has a gap inside it |
| Mitigation Block | Medium-High | Partial fills from prior institutional entries |
| Fair Value Gap | Medium | Three-candle imbalances, especially in HTF bias direction |
| Rejection Block | Lower | Swing wick extremes, best at HTF levels only |
The Key Insight Most ICT Traders Miss
Most ICT traders focus on identifying PD arrays. Few focus on combining the hierarchy with the premium/discount context AND a confirmation trigger. You can mark every PD array on your chart and still lose consistently if you enter without CISD and without confirming that price is in the correct context for the trade direction.
SMC X automates the CISD detection layer. You bring the PD array identification and the premium/discount context. The indicator tells you the moment the displacement candle closes, removing the timing ambiguity that kills most ICT entries.
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Start Free 7-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
What are PD arrays in ICT?
PD Arrays (Premium and Discount Arrays) is ICT's term for the hierarchy of price levels where institutional order flow is likely to interact with price. They range from the strongest (CISD levels, breaker blocks) to the weakest (rejection blocks, void areas).
What is the difference between premium and discount in ICT?
In a defined dealing range, the midpoint is equilibrium. Above equilibrium is premium - where you look to sell. Below equilibrium is discount - where you look to buy. Never buy at premium in a bullish range; wait for price to retrace to the discount zone.
What is the strongest PD array in ICT?
CISD levels sit at the top of the PD array hierarchy. A CISD level is a prior area where a confirmed change in state of delivery occurred - price has already demonstrated that institutions were active at that level. Breaker blocks and mitigation blocks that overlap with FVGs rank directly below.
How do you use PD arrays for entries?
Identify the dealing range and its 50% equilibrium. Find the relevant PD array in the discount zone (for buys) or premium zone (for sells). Wait for price to arrive at that array and then wait for CISD to confirm that institutions are active at that level. The array tells you where to watch. CISD tells you when to act.
Where do you enter in a PD array?
You do not enter when price arrives at the PD array. You wait for CISD - a displacement candle confirming that price has rejected the array and committed to a new delivery direction. Entering without CISD means entering before confirmation, which is guessing.