What Do the ICF Coaching Credentials Mean?

A solid understanding of various coaching credentials and what they mean is critical to making the right choice when you are working on your professional development as a coach.

When I started out in my coach education almost a decade ago, I was amazed at the depth of the field and how much there was to learn. I didn’t know how much I didn’t know!

Not long after that, I did know what I didn’t know (gulp), but that’s a longer story I will save for another day.

Many years, much training and a few thousand coaching hours later I can happily say I’ve got the hang of things.

In the spirit of collegiality, I’m writing a few posts that will fast-track your knowledge on some of the fundamentals.

Here is a high-level overview of the International Coach Federation coaching credentials and what they mean.

There are three levels of coach credentials that are available through the International Coach Federation. They differ in two significant ways: hours of coach related training and hours of client coaching experience.

Associate Certified Coach (ACC)

At this level, applicants will have completed a full coach training program that is designated as an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) or at least 60 hours of coach-specific training from another coaching program.

The client coaching experience required at the ACC level is 100 hours with at least eight different clients.

Professional Certified Coach (PCC)

At this level, applicants will have completed a full coach training program that is designated as an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) or at least 125 hours of coach-specific training from another coaching program.

The client coaching experience required at the PCC level is 500 hours with at least 25 clients following the start of coach-specific training.

Master Certified Coach (MCC)

At this level, applicants will have completed at least 200 hours of coach-specific training from an ICF Accredited Coach Training program or another coaching program.

The client coaching experience required at the MCC level is 2,500 hours with at least 35 different coaching clients.

You will find in-depth information and resources on these levels of the ICF credentials on the ICF website, as well as very specific information on the requirements and application process for each credential. I encourage you to use the ICF website as your primary and official source of up-to-date information and criteria for credentialing.

You can download a comparison chart here.

No matter where you are in the search for the right coach, or the right path in your own coach education, having a solid understanding of all of the variables will assist you in making the best choice for you. I hope this mini-lesson has helped.

If you are already working toward a credential, you can take the hassle out of the paperwork with the Easy Tracking Form for Coaches. It's free!

About the Author: Cathy Shaughnessy

Cathy Shaughnessy is a PRISM award winning ICF Master Certified Coach, Mentor Coach and ICF Assessor. Cathy coaches senior leaders, mentors credentialed coaches, trains fledgling coaches and helps organizations build strong coaching cultures.