ICF Credentials – International Coach Federation

A guide to the minimum requirements established by the ICF for receiving the credentials of ACC, PCC and MCC and to the typologies of recognition of training programs.

The International Coach Federation is the largest world organization for certifying professional coaches and coach training programs (NOT entire schools, but specific training programs).

For training programs, the ICF recognizes three levels:

For individual credentials the International Coach Federation currently recognizes three levels:

Individual credentials are awarded exclusively by the ICF. No school or training program awards credentials.

Schools with accredited programs (ACTP) are authorized by the ICF to administer directly, inside the school, exams recognized by the ICF.

This is the highest accreditation awarded by the ICF to training programs for professional coaches. It requires:

• at least 125 hours of specific coach training;
• a program of at least 10 hours of mentor training;
• supervision with written feedback of at least 6 sessions of coaching by the students;
• intermediate and final examinations;
• a director of training with the credential of MCC – Master Certified Coach.

These programs offer the training, mentoring and exams required by the ICF up to the level of PCC (see below). Persons qualified through an ACTP program must, in order to obtain their credentials, demonstrate work experience with clients required by the specific level (ACC, 100 hours; PCC, 500 hours) and sit an online test with the ICF, the CKA – Coach Knowledge Assessment, which verifies their knowledge of the code of ethics and of core competencies.
All the other requirements are guaranteed by the certificate awarded by the school that offers the accredited program.

N.B. Menslab’s systemic evolutionary coach training and certification program is accredited as ACTP. Menslab’s program exceeds the standards requested by the ICF, offering 160 hours of training and 10 hours of mentor coaching.

These are training programs pre-approved by the ICF that can be used to apply for a credential. If a student completes one part of a program accredited as ACTP, he/she receives an ACSTH certificate for the hours attended.

With 60 hours of ACSTH training and 10 hours of mentor coaching it is possible to apply for the credential at ACC level – Associate Certified Coach – simply by demonstrating at least 100 hours of work with his/her own clients and by sitting the CKA – Coach Knowledge Assessment test online.

N.B. The coaching fundamentals program is part of Menslab’s systemic evolutionary coach training and certification program accredited as ACTP.
As a result the coaching fundamentals program awards a certification of 70 ACSTH, those required for the first level of coach certification (ACC).

These are hours of continuing training used to renew credentials. The CCE can apply to training in core competencies or other competencies linked to professional development. To renew a credential, 40 hours of CCE are required every three years, of which at least 24 should relate to core competencies. From 2016 at least 3 of the 24 CCE hours relating to core competencies must apply to coaching ethics.
All the modules of an ACTP program can issue CCE.

N.B. Menslab’s various programs of specialization which make part of the ‘Coaching professional’ and ‘Coaching mastery’ paths issue CCE linked to core competencies.

is the first level of accreditation that the ICF awards to coaches. To obtain it, it is necessary:

• to have completed at least 60 hours of specific coach training;
• to have participated in a program of mentor coaching of at least 10 hours (at least 3 individuals, the remainder also in a small group composed of a maximum of 10 participants);
• to have at least 100 hours of work with clients, carried out after the start of the training program.

Those who attend an ACSTH or ACTP program obtain the credential by submitting the school’s diploma and sitting an online test on competencies, the CKA – Coach Knowledge Assessment. It is not a requirement to send a session of recorded coaching because it is the school that evaluates the level of its students.

If someone attends programs that are not approved or accredited by the ICF (for example, NLP coach training programs) it will be necessary, to obtain the credential, to sit another test with the ICF, sending them a recorded coaching session which will be evaluated by the ICF assessors. This type of path (called a portfolio) requires a higher fee, given the greater time spent by the ICF on the exams.

Menslab’s coaching fundamentals program (70 hours) awards 70 ACSTH. By taking this program and the path of mentor coaching / supervision for 10 hours (7 in a small group and 3 individuals) the coach will have the ICF’s training and mentoring requirements for the credential of ACC.

Menslab’s systemic evolutionary coach training and certification program is, on the other hand, an ACTP program, and so to request the ACC credential it is enough to have the program’s diploma, the 100 hours of work with clients, and the CKA test.

is the second level of accreditation that the ICF awards to coaches and is the level that certifies a professional coach. To obtain it, it is necessary:

• to have completed at least 125 hours of specific coach training;
• to have at least 500 hours of work with clients, carried out after the start of the training programme.

Those who attend an ACTP program obtain the credential by submitting the school’s diploma and a list of clients, and sitting an online test on competencies, the CKA. It is not a requirement to send a session of recorded coaching because it is the school that evaluates the level of its students.

If someone attends non-ACTP programs, it will be necessary, to obtain the credential, to show 10 hours of mentor coaching and to sit another test with the ICF, sending them two recorded coaching sessions which will be evaluated by the ICF assessors. This type of path requires more time for examinations and a higher fee, given the greater time spent by the ICF on the exams.

Menslab’s systemic evolutionary coach training and certification program is an ACTP program.

is the highest level of accreditation that the ICF awards to coaches. To obtain it, it is necessary

• to have completed at least 200 hours of specific coach training;
• to have at least 2,500 hours of work with clients, carried out after the start of the training programme.

This level is reached after many years of practice.

Menslab’s systemic evolutionary coach training and certification program provides all the training hours required for the level of Master Certified Coach

Is the program through which a coach in training works with a mentor/supervisor on the development of his competencies as a coach. During the sessions of mentor coaching cases are dealt with in which the coach in training is dealing with his clients and the mentor coaches the coach in training and offers some starting points on how to evolve competencies and, as regards the cases presented by the coach in training, on which approaches he/she could use with the clients.

Menslab regularly offers mentor coaching and supervision programs both in small groups and at an individual level.