In ICT (Inner Circle Trader) concepts, two terms often confuse traders – CISD (Consolidation – Inducement – Stop Hunt – Displacement) and MSS (Market Structure Shift).
While both help identify major market moves, they are different in purpose and application.
Let’s break them down step-by-step with examples so it’s easy to understand.
1. What is ICT CISD?
CISD is a 4-step process that explains how the market manipulates traders before making the real move.
It stands for:
- Consolidation – Price moves sideways in a tight range.
- Inducement – The market tempts traders into taking positions too early.
- Stop Hunt – Price spikes to hit stop-loss orders.
- Displacement – The real move begins in the opposite direction.
Example:
- Let’s say EUR/USD is moving between 1.1000 and 1.1020 for 2 hours.
- Many traders start buying because they think the range will break upwards (Inducement).
- Suddenly, price drops to 1.0980, hitting all the buy-side stop losses (Stop Hunt).
- Then price shoots up strongly past 1.1030 (Displacement).
Here, CISD helps you spot how the market manipulates before the real move.
2. What is ICT MSS (Market Structure Shift)?
MSS is when the overall direction of the market changes from bullish to bearish or vice versa.
It’s identified when the market breaks a major swing high/low and fails to return to the previous trend.
Example:
- GBP/USD has been making higher highs and higher lows (uptrend).
- Suddenly, price breaks below the last higher low at 1.2800.
- Then it forms a lower high and starts moving down.
This signals a Market Structure Shift from bullish to bearish.
3. Key Difference Between CISD and MSS in ICT
| Feature | CISD | MSS |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Identifies manipulation before the real move | Identifies change in market trend |
| Focus | Small-term setups inside consolidation zones | Bigger picture trend change |
| When It Happens | Before a strong displacement | After breaking a key high/low |
| Trader’s Goal | Avoid traps and enter after displacement | Catch the new trend early |
| Example Use | Short-term scalping/intraday setups | Swing trading and higher timeframe setups |
4. How ICT CISD and ICT MSS Work Together
CISD often happens before an MSS.
For example:
- Price consolidates, tempts traders, stops them out (CISD).
- Then the move continues so strongly that it breaks the previous structure (MSS).
If you learn both, you can:
- Avoid being trapped in false moves.
- Spot when the trend is genuinely changing.
5. Trading Tip for ICT CISD and ICT MSS
- For CISD, wait for the stop hunt and displacement before entering.
- For MSS, confirm with higher timeframe structure before trading.
- Combining both can give you high-probability trades with low risk.
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