This week, I passed the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach exam. There is a lot that goes into the process of being credentialed, and I was the first of my cohort to walk through the process, unsure of what to expect. After successfully completing this first credential, I wanted to document how I approached prepping for this assessment.

Getting Started
It's not too soon to start your journey of content review, but keep in mind that you will not be invited to take your exam until:
Your 60+ hours of ICF approved course of study has been verified
10 hours of mentor coaching (I worked with Jill Monaco, PCC - excellent supervision provided!)
100 hours minimum of coaching
You have had a 30-50 min coaching session assessed
Once you have passed your your recording, you will receive an email with an invitation to schedule your exam. Be sure to keep the email invite. It will have a link to register and if you need to reschedule and you'll want the link handy to adjust your calendar if necessary. It also has some other pertinent information. Note: You only have 60 days to take the exam from the time you receive your recording assessment, so don't wait to long to book your appointment to set that date!
What to Expect:
Exam Format
The new ACC exam that went live November, 2024 has the following format. Questions are multiple choice.
I. Exam Instructions: 2 minutes - Read the instructions thoroughly. TIP! You will have the ability to highlight pertinent info or strikethrough answers. I decided on the fly that I would use this to my advantage to make sure I didn't accidentally choose a wrong answer. This helped a lot! Look for keywords and highlight them in the question. Read and reread each one carefully. Consider striking through items that are clearly not the answer. This will help you stay on track!
TIP! There is also an option to flag items that you want to review. I have seen this on a lot of Microsoft exams that I've taken. Here's the best practice for using this tool:
Since the exam is timed your goal is to approach the test by gathering points. There is nothing worse than sitting for a timed exam and spending too much time on one question. If you don't know the answer, immediately mark it for review and move on. At the end of the first 30 questions, you will be taken to a review summary page and will be able to see all those that you marked for review. Use the remaining time to answer the questions you didn't know. Repeat this process for the second round of questions.
II. Section 1 (30 items): 39 minutes
III. Scheduled Break (10 minutes) - Note: Your proctor will need to sign in their credentials when the break is over. TIP! Be sure to have them do this in advance otherwise the time will start for the next round of questions. (This happened to me and I lost 2 minutes tracking down my proctor!)
IV. Section 2 (30 items): 39 minutes
ACC Exam Content & Objectives
The following are list of recommended study resources. Please make sure to visit the ICF ACC Candidate Guide for an exhaustive list of everything you might need.
Sample Questions - The ICF provides a list of sample questions. While I think they are helpful to get an idea of what to expect, they are much easier than the actual exam questions.
Know Exam Objectives: Want to know where to focus your studies? These exam objectives give you an idea of where to put your efforts!
Domain: Coaching Ethics – 30%
Knowledge of professional ethics codes. (See pdf)
I watched the playlist, and completed the free ICF ethics course. Much of the material is the same but there are some nuances and an assessment after the ethics course.
Knowledge of what constitutes a conflict of interest. TIP!(See page 51 and know all these definitions.)
Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and organizational policies and procedures around confidentiality (e.g., what factors would necessitate breaking confidentiality).
Domain: Definition and Boundaries of Coaching – 30%
Knowledge of the definition of coaching.
Knowledge of the coaching process and how it differs from other related professions (therapy, counseling, mentoring and consulting).
Knowledge of when, and how to make appropriate referrals for mental health professionals. (Read this article on referring a client to therapy.)
Knowledge of signs of mental health conditions that may block progress in coaching.
Domain: Coaching Competencies, Strategies, and Techniques – 40% (This is where I spent most of my time since the grading is higher!
Knowledge of how to contract with clients (e.g., key elements of a coaching agreement).
Knowledge of ICF Core Competencies. - You need to know these backwards and forwards. For example, a sub competency is: "Notices what is working to enhance client progress", does that fall under the competency Evokes Awareness or Facilitates Client growth? Be prepared to know where a sub-competency fits in relation to the parent competency.
Knowledge of goal setting and motivation.
Knowledge of a variety of coaching techniques, tools, and resources.
Prepping for the Exam:
Now that you have a master list of links and a few tips, here's how I prepped for the exam. As a trainer, I'm well aware we all learn differently. Take what works for you and if you have any suggestions, please comment for other fellow ACC candidates
Flashcards: I found these worked well for definitions and key concepts, but they did not help me master memorizing the core competencies.
Utilize the videos and write out notes: I watched all the videos on competencies and ethics and took notes. I also wrote all the competencies and ethics out individually. Then, I reviewed my notes on a daily basis.
Mnemonics - I really struggled to memorize the core competencies. It wasn't until I came up with a Mnemonic that it stuck! Consider DEEM - CLAP (I had to flip two competencies around to get this to work!) For each of these ask yourself, "what is it?" and "how does it show up?
Demonstrates Ethical Practice
Embodies a coaching mindset
Establishes & Maintains Agreement
Maintains Presence
Cultivates Trust
Listens Actively
Awareness
Promotes/Facilitate Client Growth
TIP! -Make it Fun! - While the Mnemonic really helped me begin to learn the core competencies I still didn't know them well enough. It wasn't until I got two poster boards and started visually drawing out pictures of how these showed up that I began to memorize them. I can't stress how much this helped me. During the exam, I was able to visually remember what pictures were on my board and what each item represented. For example, for Awareness, I drew a lightning bolt and wrote awareness on it. Then, I wrote the items below:
How?
Challenge Beliefs
"Tell me more"
Is this really working?
Evaluate and Adjust
If I were taking this exam again, I would craft a poster first with the core competencies, hang it up, and study it daily.
Practice Test - I purchased a practice test from jigsaw.coach. The test cost approximately $45 US. This was not a time test but a slide deck that I could review. One slide had the question and the next the answer. I like that this test was created by a mentor coach. Overall, I felt this helped me build confidence.
Study Groups - I was a member of an ACC Link group through my local ICF chapter. I strongly suggest a study group if possible. If your ICF local chapter doesn't have one consider reaching out to the ICF Journey Facebook Group.
Practical Tips for Day Of Exam
Eat a high protein meal before your test!
Dress in layers. These centers are often cold.
Remember your why, and remind yourself you can do this!
Plan out your celebration in advance to have something to look forward to!
Good luck and if I can help at all, feel free to reach out!
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