As part of the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credentialing process, candidates are required to pass the final online examination prior to receiving the ACC credential. ICF has just announced the latest change to the online examination. 

The new ACC Exam will be offered to candidates starting November 18, 2024.  This new ACC Exam will replace the existing Credential Exam.  However, if candidates wish to take the existing Credential Exam, they will be able to request to take the ICF Credentialing Exam through March 14, 2025. Any ACC candidate taking the exam after March 14, 2025 will be required to take the ACC Exam.

Previously, ACC candidates had to pass the ICF Credentialing Exam to complete their ACC application. Now, the ACC Exam will be used to assess candidates’ understanding of the ICF Core Competencies, Code of Ethics, and the definition and boundaries of coaching according to established standards.

The ICF Credentialing exam uses Situational judgment questions, whereas the ACC Exam uses knowledge-based questions. This new exam is designed to be more accurate gauge of an ACC candidate’s coaching knowledge. Developed through a rigorous process aligned with best practices for certification and high-stakes exams, the ACC Exam was created by coaches, for coaches.

The ACC Exam consists of 60 multiple-choice knowledge items. Each item includes a brief prompt or question and four response options. There is only one correct response for each item.

The ACC Exam consists of two sections with an optional 10-minute break midway through the exam. The total exam time is organized in the following format:

• Exam Instructions: 2 minutes
• Section 1 (30 items): 39 minutes
• Scheduled Break: 10 minutes
• Section 2 (30 items): 39 minutes

• Exam Time: 90 minutes, including a 10-minute break.
• Exam Length: 60 multiple-choice questions.

Exam Format: Computer-based written exam administered through proctored delivery at Pearson VUE testing centers worldwide, or online through Pearson’s OnVue remote-proctored testing service.

Note: Credential Exam consists of 156 multiple-choice questions to be completed within 3 hours, including a 10-minute break.

The ACC Exam covers three broad domains of coaching knowledge. Exam questions cover these domains outlined below.

Domain: Coaching Ethics – 30%

• Knowledge of professional ethics codes.
• Knowledge of what constitutes a conflict of interest.
• 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.
• Knowledge of signs of mental health conditions that may block progress in coaching.

Domain: Coaching Competencies, Strategies, and Techniques – 40%

• Knowledge of how to contract with clients (e.g., key elements of a coaching agreement).
• Knowledge of ICF Core Competencies.
• Knowledge of goal setting and motivation.
• Knowledge of a variety of coaching techniques, tools, and resources.

Situational judgment questions assess how individuals would respond to real-world scenarios, while knowledge-based questions evaluate understanding of specific facts or concepts. Situational judgment questions are typically more detailed and require greater consideration to answer accurately.

The easiest way to explain the difference is through examples.

A coach is meeting with a prospective client who is growing a new business. The coach and potential client quickly establish an easy connection. The coach is excited about the opportunity to work with the client. As the coach and client are ending their conversation, the prospective client briefly mentions the name of their new business. The coach recognizes the business, as the coach is an investor in a more established competitor business in the same community. What should the coach do?

What is the BEST action?

1. Not say anything. Try to keep their role as an investor in a competing business separate from their role as a coach.
2. Share that the business name sounds familiar and make a mental note to determine whether it is a competitor business later that evening.
3. Share their role as investor in the competitor business only if the potential client follows up to pursue coaching with the coach.
4. Share their role as an investor in a competing business and acknowledge the possibility of a conflict of interest with the client.

What is the WORST action? (from the 4 choices above)

A client asks a coach for advice about how to carry out a new, challenging assignment. What is the best action for the coach to take?

1. Give the client the requested advice
2. Suggest that the client ask their supervisor for advice
3. Send the client an email after the coaching session with several strategies the client could consider
4. Explain the distinction between coaching and consulting and invite the client to identify strategies they could explore together

Which of the following represents the most important purpose of silence in coaching?

1. To allow a client to process their thoughts
2. To enable the coach and client to hear one another
3. To provide the coach time to think of their next question
4. To provide the client time to think of the right response to the coach’s question

Hope you have a better understanding now on the differences.  Please click on Sample ACC Exam Questions for more representative of the types of questions that may be on the ACC Exam.  Existing CPLC Level 1 graduates of BP Coach Training can access our ACC Mock Exam Practice module. The intent is to provide a mock test environment to help candidates prepare for the exam.

A candidate’s score is based on successfully identifying each correct response. Candidates are not penalized for incorrect responses. The passing score and all exam results on the ACC Exam are reported as scaled scores. The range of possible scores is 200 to 600, with a passing score of 460.

Here’s a quick summary of the difference between the current Credential Exam vs the new ACC Exam.

For more details, please refer to ICF website for more information.

For more information please contact us or email us at info@bpcoachtrain.com.

BP Coach Training Pte Ltd

3 November 2024