ICF Announces Changes to ACC and PCC Accreditation Requirements

Following a May 21, 2015, vote by the ICF Global Board of Directors, ICF has adopted new requirements for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentials that will restrict eligible coaching experience hours to those completed after the start of coach-specific training.

These changes are intended to raise the standard of credentialing, provide for a clear demonstration of coaches’ experience as a direct result of coach-specific training and emphasize currency of client-coaching hours to ensure that coaches who earn ICF Credentials are currently practicing.

Under the existing policy, coaches may count client-coaching experience hours logged prior to the start of coach-specific training toward requirements for the ACC and PCC.

Under the new policy, ICF will require ACC applicants to complete 100 hours of client-coaching experience following the start of their coach-specific training. Furthermore, at least 25 of these hours must occur within 18 months of the application for the credential. ACC applicants will still be required to have a minimum of eight clients and 75 paid client-coaching experience hours.

Under the new policy, ICF will require PCC applicants to complete 500 hours (down from 750 hours, under the existing policy) of client-coaching experience following the start of their coach-specific training. Furthermore, at least 50 of these hours must occur within 18 months of the application for the credential. PCC applicants will still be required to have a minimum of 25 clients and 450 paid client-coaching experience hours.

The ICF Global Board has approved a 12-month phase-in period for the new requirements. Beginning October 1, 2015, at 12 a.m. (New York), ACC and PCC applicants who meet these requirements will be able to begin applying under the new criteria. Beginning October 1, 2016, at 12 a.m. (New York), all ACC and PCC applicants will be required to meet the new criteria.

ICF is currently studying requirements for the Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential and will communicate any future changes to that model when they are identified, approved by the Board and scheduled for implementation.

*Original source: ICF website