To get ICF certified you choose a credential (ACC, PCC or MCC), choose an application path, log your coaching hours, complete 10 hours of mentor coaching, pass the exam for your level, and renew every three years. The slow part is almost never the paperwork: it is collecting 100 hours for ACC or 500 for PCC. Below are the steps in order, with the numbers from ICF's own pages.
Which ICF credential should you aim for?
ICF offers three. ACC (Associate Certified Coach) needs 60 hours of coaching education, 100 hours of coaching experience with at least 75 paid, 10 hours of mentor coaching, a performance evaluation and a passing exam score. PCC (Professional) needs 125 hours of education, 500 hours of experience with at least 450 paid, the same mentor coaching, evaluation and exam. MCC (Master) asks you to hold or have held a PCC, plus 200 hours of education and 2,500 hours of experience, 2,250 of them paid.
Most coaches begin with ACC, but PCC does not require an ACC first. The full comparison, including which one your experience supports, is in ACC vs PCC. ICF itself cites a 2022 consumer study in which 85% of clients value coaches who hold credentials, so the choice is worth making deliberately.
Which application path fits you?
ICF suggests you start with its Credential Path Survey, which tells you which pathway applies. In practice there are two:
- Level 1 / Level 2 path (ACC) and Level 2 path (PCC): you finish an ICF-accredited program, and it already covers mentor coaching and the performance evaluation. It is cheaper and faster to review.
- Portfolio path: you assemble the education, hours and mentor coaching yourself, then apply.
If you are still choosing a school, an accredited program is the simplest route. If you already trained elsewhere, Portfolio is the way in, and it is where the next sections matter most.
How do you count and log coaching hours?
An hour is a full 60-minute live session with a client who hired you as their coach; 30 minutes counts as 0.5. Hours count from the start of your coach education, provided it is a course of at least 30 hours. Mentor coaching, supervision and coaching inside a training program do not count.
You also need breadth, not only volume: at least 8 clients for ACC, 25 for PCC and 35 for MCC. Of the hours, 25 (ACC) or 50 (PCC) must fall within the 18 months before you apply. ICF asks you to get and document each client's consent before adding them to your coaching log, and recommends a simple spreadsheet.
What mentor coaching do you need?
Ten hours over at least three months; at least 3 hours are one-on-one and the other 7 can be in a group of up to 10. On the Level path it is part of your program. On the Portfolio path you complete it before applying. Two dates change this: from January 1, 2027 all new mentor coaching hours must be with a mentor who holds ICF's Mentor Coach Specialization, and from April 1, 2027 an enhanced mentor coaching requirement replaces the performance evaluation for ACC and PCC Portfolio applicants. Read what changes in 2027 before you book anyone.
How much does it cost and what is the exam?
| Path | ACC (member / non-member) | PCC (member / non-member) |
|---|---|---|
| Level path | $175 / $325, review ~4 weeks | $375 / $525, ~4 weeks |
| Portfolio path | $475 / $625, ~14 weeks | $750 / $900, ~18 weeks |
After approval you are invited to the exam and have 60 days to schedule and take it. The ACC Exam is 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. The ICF Credentialing Exam for PCC and MCC is 78 situational-judgment items in 180 minutes, with 460 of 600 to pass; it can be taken until March 31, 2027, after which the PCC-MCC Exam replaces it. You get preliminary results straight away, and ICF updates your record within a week. The exam guide covers format and preparation.
What should you do first?
Start the log today, even if the exam is a year away: hours you do not record are hours you cannot prove. Then listen to one real session against the skills ICF assesses. Coala's ICF assessment preparation maps a recording to the competencies, so you find the gaps before a mentor or assessor does.