Obtaining an ICF credential provides credibility for professional coaches. It also indicates commitment to the coaching profession and continued personal development. You can learn more about the credentialing process and requirements on the ICF Global website. On this page, you will find a collection of resources to help you through the credentialing process.
Experience
Most beginning coaches want to know how to accrue coaching hours. The first 100 hours needed to apply for the ACC (Associate Certified Coach) are often the hardest to obtain. In addition to working towards securing clients, there are several options to obtain paid coaching hours. Here are a few suggestions.
- Seek out fellow coaches through your coach training organization to trade peer coaching.
- Barter with another service professional (website designer, branding specialist, vocal coach, speech coach, chiropractor, hair dresser, etc.) to trade coaching for their service.
- ReciproCoach peer coaching (paid service)
- Let's Coach peer coaching (paid service)
Mentor Coaching
Coaches applying for a credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC) or their first ACC renewal need to have 10 hours of mentor coaching (3 must be one-on-one). You can learn more about mentor coaching on the ICF Global website. Here are a few suggestions for finding a mentor coach.
- Check with your coach training organization.
- Find a mentor coach through ICF Global. You can also register with ICF Global if you offer mentor coaching.
Credentialing Exam
The updated credentialing exam "is a tool designed to measure a coach’s knowledge of and ability to apply the ICF definition of coaching, the updated ICF Core Competencies, and the ICF Code of Ethics against a predetermined standard." (ICF Global) You can learn more about the credentialing exam on the ICF Global website. Here are some resources to help you prepare for the exam.
- Lyssa deHart, MCC exam prep course
- Review videos or podcast episodes about the core competencies and code of ethics.
- Read through the PCC markers.
- Read through the Code of Ethics.
- Read through the Code of Ethics Interpretive Statements.