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Gaining the ICF's Professional Credential - An Overview
The Purpose of the ICF Credentialing Programme is to:
- Establish and administer minimum standards for credentialing professional coaches and coach training agencies.
- Assure the public that participating coaches and coach training agencies meet or exceed these minimum standards.
- Reinforce professional coaching as a distinct and self-regulating profession.
The ICF credential is awarded to professional coaches and coach training agencies to validate that they meet or exceed these minimum standards.
Click here to download The User Friendly ICF Credentialing Kit
There are three different levels to the ICF credential which are based on criteria relating to training, practice and examination. The levels are:- ACC (Associate Certified Coach) - renewable credential that expires after three years
- PCC (Professional Certified Coach) - renewable every three years
- MCC (Master Certified Coach) - renewable every three years
ACC, PCC and MCC discussion forums, click here.
Click here to download Steps to Credentialing
The key elements of a credential application are:
- Training: Documented minimum number of student contact learning hours of Coach Specific Training - 60 hours for ACC, 125 hours for PCC and 200 hours for MCC.
- Practice: Documented minimum number of hours coaching clients - 100 hours for ACC; 750 hours for PCC; 2,500 for MCC.
- Examination:Oral through the ICF for ACC; oral and written for PCC and MCC. In each case the examination may be through either of two routes: ICF portfolio or an ACTP which is an ICF accredited coach training programme. Please note that relevant to this statement, the ICF Board adopted new rules that now require all MCC candidates to take the ICF exam which means that there is really not an ACTP route to the MCC. The new application will be coming out soon and it will have similar content to last year's MCC Portfolio application. PCC remains the same with the two paths, ACTP or Portfolio.
- Other requirements: References from ICF approved coaches who have heard you coach - 2 for ACC and PCC; 3 for MCC. Also, one taped coaching session for PCC and MCC made with the permission of the person being coached. There is a requirement for PCC and MCC applicants via the portfolio route to work for 10 hours with a mentor coach. From July 1st 2008, ACC portfolio applicants will also need to fulfil the requirement to work for 10 hours with a mentor coach.
For a detailed summary chart laying out the ICF's Credentialing Programme Click here to download ICF Credentialing Programme Summary Chart.
The key skills that coaches are required to demonstrate through their training, practice and examination are summed up in the 11 Core Coaching Competencies developed by the ICF. Click to see the full list. If you want understand the minimum skills requirements, expected at each level, click below to access them:
How do I know what training counts as Coach Specific Training?
You do not have to have completed an ICF Accredited Coach Training Programme (ACTP) to apply for certification. If you have received alternative coach specific training and can show that it teaches coaching skills in accordance with the ICF 11 Core Coaching Competencies, your training hours will be accepted. Also, graduation from an ICF Accredited Coach Training Programme does not, by itself, provide automatic ICF accreditation for the individual coach. Other criteria have to be met by all applicants. However, if you have followed an ICF Accredited Coach Training Programme, you do not have to provide a detailed description of your course and its coverage of the ICF competencies. In all cases you will be required to provide certificates of other evidence that you actually undertook the training.
click here for details on the Core Competencies Series 2008.
Click here for full details of the application process on the global ICF website.
Step-by-Step guidelines for completing an ICF Credential Application are now available on audio by clicking here.
For our Ethical Guidelines, click here.
ACC, PCC and MCC credential applications, for both ACTP and Portfolio routes, as from January 1st 2008 are being accepted throughout the year.
To access the online version of the application form, click here.
Once the ICF Global office has received your application it will review the documents you have submitted. If these are satisfactory, you will be notified of a date and time for your oral exam -ACC, PCC, MCC and your online exam - PCC & MCC. A team of assessors (who are different from the ones who will undertake your oral exam) will be given your application and they will assess whether all the criteria for your particular credential have been met. Do take the opportunity to join a teleforum on what the assessor is looking for. Access the Workshops and Events table here. Remember – the assessors want to see other coaches developing their skills and experience – they are on your side!
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