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ICF Credentialing

★ Coach Training Alliance Student Guide

ICF Path and Journey

A Coach Training Alliance student guide to understanding ICF and the Level 1 credentialing pathway.

★ Student-friendly overview ★ Level 1 pathway (ACC) ★ CTA-aligned steps + documentation
Tip: Use the jump buttons to scan, then come back to details.

Who is ICF?

ICF stands for the International Coaching Federation. It is the world’s leading credentialing and standards organization for professional coaches.

In simple terms, ICF exists to:

  • Set ethical and professional standards for coaching
  • Accredit coach training programs
  • Credential individual coaches
  • Advance coaching as a credible, respected profession worldwide

Today, ICF represents tens of thousands of coaches across more than 140 countries.

Why ICF Exists

Before ICF, anyone could call themselves a coach—no shared definition, no standards, no accountability.

ICF was created to:

  • Protect the public
  • Define what real coaching is (vs. advice, consulting, or therapy)
  • Establish credibility and consistency across the profession

A Brief History of ICF

1995 – The Beginning
ICF was founded by Thomas J. Leonard, often called the father of modern coaching. Coaching was emerging but unregulated; Leonard saw the need for professional standards and training.
Late 1990s – Early Structure
ICF introduced a code of ethics, initial credential levels, and early versions of what would become the ICF Core Competencies.
2000s – Global Expansion
Chapters formed worldwide; training programs began seeking ICF accreditation; coaching gained acceptance across business, leadership, health, and life coaching.
2010s – Professional Maturity
Refinement of ACC, PCC, MCC credential levels; increased emphasis on coach-specific training and mentor coaching; clearer distinction between coaching vs. therapy or consulting.
2019–Present – Modernization
Updated ICF Core Competencies (2019), creation of multiple family organizations, and strengthened focus on equity, ethics, and global consistency.

What ICF Does Today – At a Glance

ICF does:
  • Credentials coaches (ACC, PCC, MCC)
  • Accredits training programs
  • Defines ethical coaching practice
  • Requires experience hours and mentor coaching
  • Sets the global definition of professional coaching
ICF does not:
  • Train coaches directly
  • Provide therapy or counseling credentials
  • Endorse quick or unverified certifications

Why ICF Matters – for Students & Clients

For students
An ICF-aligned program gives you a recognized path to credentialing. Your training meets international standards.
For clients
An ICF-credentialed coach has been trained, assessed, and supervised, with ethical accountability.

Does a Coach Have to Pursue ICF Credentialing?

Short answer:
No. You do not have to pursue an ICF credential to be a successful coach.

Why many coaches succeed without an ICF credential

Success in coaching is driven by:

  • Coaching skills and presence
  • Ability to help clients create real results
  • Credibility with your specific audience
  • Strong ethics and professionalism
  • Business and relationship-building skills

Plenty of highly successful coaches build full, thriving practices without ever applying for an ICF credential—especially in life coaching, wellness & health coaching, executive or leadership coaching within organizations that don’t require credentials, and niche- or experience-based coaching.

What the ICF credential does provide

  • A globally recognized professional standard
  • A signal of formal training, experience hours, and ethical practice
  • Could be required or preferred by corporations, government agencies, healthcare systems, contracts, and vendor panels

The key distinction: success vs. professional positioning

You can be a successful coach without ICF. And: you may not access certain opportunities that require ICF standards unless you pursue the credential. It’s less about validation and more about optional leverage.

A smart, grounded approach

  • Train and start coaching first
  • Build confidence, skill, and real-world experience
  • Decide later whether credentialing supports your goals
Bottom line
❌ ICF is not required to be a great or successful coach
✅ ICF can be valuable if you want broader professional access, structure, or recognition
🎯 The best path depends on where you want to coach and who you want to serve

Education Requirement – How CTA Fulfills This Requirement

How the CTA Certified Coach Program Fulfills the Education Requirement

  • ICF-approved coach training hours: CTA’s Certified Coach Program is approved by ICF for 60 student contact learning hours.
  • Part of an ICF Level 1 Accredited School: CTA is an ICF Level 1 Accredited Coach Training School, meaning the curriculum meets professional standards for foundational coach education.
  • Covers core coaching skills and ethics: The curriculum is designed around the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics.
  • Documentation for credentialing: Upon completion, CTA provides certificates/documentation showing you have met the required education hours.
Quick Summary
Requirement: Coach-specific education hours
ICF Standard: 60+ hours required · CTA: Approved for 60 ICF education hours
Requirement: Accreditation status
ICF Standard: ICF-accredited programs streamline ACC path · CTA: ICF Level 1 Accredited School
Requirement: Core Competencies & Ethics
ICF Standard: Must cover competency-based coaching · CTA: Program built around ICF competencies & ethics
Requirement: Credentialing path
ICF Standard: Must include mentoring + experience · CTA: Supports mentoring and experience activities

Coaching Experience Hours – What Counts & How CTA Supports You

What Are Coaching Experience Hours?

ICF requires coaches to accumulate coaching experience hours with real clients. These hours demonstrate you can apply coaching skills consistently in real-world conversations.

When can you start counting?
You may begin counting experience hours after your coach-specific training begins (not before you start training).

What Counts as an Hour?

  • 1 hour = 60 minutes of actual coaching time with a client.
  • Do not count coaching sessions during class time (that is Education).
  • Count the coaching conversation time (not prep, admin, marketing, or post-session notes).
  • In-person, phone, or virtual all count the same.

Paid vs. Pro Bono

Both paid and pro bono coaching can count as experience hours as long as the session is a true coaching engagement (not consulting, advising, mentoring, or therapy).

What is Pro Bono Coaching?
Coaching at no charge. These hours can count if the session is client-led and competency-based.
What is Barter Coaching?
Exchanging coaching for something of value. Often treated as fee-based when there’s a clear agreement and exchange.
Does internal coaching count?
It may count when it is clearly a coaching engagement—not part of normal management, training, or evaluation duties.

How CTA Supports You in Earning Experience Hours

  • CTA encourages students to begin coaching during training so hours build naturally.
  • CTA integrates business and marketing foundations alongside CTA’s Simple Coaching Model™ and Four Pillars of Wisdom™.
  • This helps students gain real clients, real confidence, and real momentum—so experience hours aren’t an “extra step” after graduation.
Quick Summary
✔ Start counting after training begins
✔ 60 minutes of coaching = 1 hour (prep/admin + in-class coaching doesn’t count)
✔ Paid and pro bono coaching can count
✔ Internal coaching may count when it is true coaching (not management/training)
✔ CTA supports skills + business-building so hours accumulate while you train

Mentor Coaching Requirement – How CTA Supports This Step

What Is Mentor Coaching?

Mentor Coaching is a developmental process focused on strengthening a coach’s demonstration of the ICF Core Competencies and ethical coaching practice.

For ACC, ICF requires:
✔ 10 total Mentor Coaching hours
✔ 7 hours completed in a group setting
✔ 3 hours completed one-on-one
✔ Delivered by a qualified ICF-credentialed Mentor Coach

How CTA Fulfills the Mentor Coaching Requirement

1) CTA’s Group Mentoring Class (7 group hours)
Students submit recorded sessions with real clients, receive competency-based feedback aligned with ICF standards, learn through observation and peer discussion, and deepen their understanding of the ICF Core Competencies.
2) Individual Mentor Coaching (3 one-on-one hours)
Students complete three one-on-one mentor hours with a CTA faculty Mentor Coach or another qualified ICF-credentialed Mentor Coach outside of CTA.
3) Integrated, developmental learning
Mentor Coaching is developmental (not evaluative), grounded in real coaching sessions and ICF competencies. Feedback is also framed through CTA’s Simple Coaching Model™ and Four Pillars of Wisdom™.
4) Documentation and support
CTA confirms completed group mentor hours and provides guidance on documenting group and individual hours for ICF applications.
Quick Summary
✔ CTA provides a Group Mentoring class (7 group hours)
✔ Access to qualified Mentor Coaches for 1:1 hours (3 hours)
✔ Flexibility to work with other credentialed Mentor Coaches
✔ Feedback aligned with ICF competencies and CTA frameworks

Performance Evaluation Requirement – How CTA Evaluates Coaching Performance

What Is the ICF Performance Evaluation?

The Performance Evaluation assesses a coach’s ability to demonstrate the ICF Core Competencies in a real coaching conversation, coach ethically and professionally, and partner effectively with a client using a coaching mindset.

How CTA Supports the Performance Evaluation Requirement

1) Evaluation based on a real coaching session
Students submit an audio recording of an authentic coaching conversation with a real client (not role play).
2) Assessment aligned with ICF Core Competencies
Evaluators listen for competency-based behaviors, ethical coaching standards, and forward movement with the client.
3) Grounded in CTA’s frameworks
CTA’s process integrates CTA’s Simple Coaching Model™, Four Pillars of Wisdom™, and ICF competency language.
4) Developmental, supportive feedback
Feedback is structured, clear, and focused on readiness (not perfection): strengths, growth edges, and alignment.
5) Documentation for credentialing
Upon successful completion, CTA provides confirmation/documentation for an ICF credential application.
Quick Summary
✔ Real-session, competency-based assessment
✔ Alignment with CTA and ICF frameworks
✔ Clear, supportive feedback
✔ Documentation for credentialing

What Happens Next?

Once you’ve completed the four required components of the Level 1 credentialing path— Coach-Specific Education, Coaching Experience Hours, Mentor Coaching, and Performance Evaluation— you’ve completed everything required from ICF through Coach Training Alliance.

Next Step: Apply for Your ICF Credential

Graduates of the CTA Certified Coach Program are eligible to apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through ICF using the Level 1 / ACSTH path.

Your application includes:
  • Uploading documentation for completed education, mentor coaching, and performance evaluation
  • Reporting your coaching experience hours
  • Attesting to adherence to the ICF Code of Ethics

Final Requirement: The ICF Credentialing Exam

After your application is approved, the final step is to pass the ICF Credentialing Exam. The exam assesses understanding of the ICF Core Competencies and ethical standards, with a focus on coaching mindset and decision-making.

How CTA prepares you throughout the program:
✔ Teaching competency-based coaching from the start
✔ Reinforcing ethical decision-making
✔ Aligning training, mentor coaching, and evaluation with ICF expectations

Once you pass the exam, you are awarded the ACC credential. From there, you may use the designation professionally, join the global ICF community, and begin accumulating hours toward future credentials (PCC, MCC) if desired.

Want help choosing your best credentialing path?
We’ll help you understand your options and the Level 1 steps.