ICF ACC study guide
ICF ACC · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential is one of the three core credentials awarded by the International Coaching Federation (ICF); ICF's credentialing section lists ACC alongside the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC) credentials. Candidates typically pursue the ACC after completing coach-specific training and accumulated coaching experience, and the credentialing process includes passing an ICF exam. The ICF ACC study guide has 4 sections and about 1,268 words.
01Foundation: Ethical Practice and a Coaching Mindset
Ethical Practice rests on the ICF Code of Ethics: its definitions, standards of conduct, ethical pledges, and the disciplinary process. Know the recurring themes - informed consent, confidentiality and its legal limits, conflicts of interest, multiple relationships, competence boundaries, and the obligation to refer when a client's needs (therapy, medical, legal) exceed coaching's scope.
336 words, about 2 min02Co-Creating the Relationship: Agreements, Trust and Safety, Presence
Establishes and Maintains Agreements covers the coaching agreement (relationship, process, logistics, fees, roles, boundaries), the session agreement (what the client wants from this conversation), and re-contracting whenever the client's needs shift. Cultivates Trust and Safety means demonstrating genuine care, acknowledging the client's identity, context, and values, showing appropriate vulnerability, and honoring the client's responsibility for their own choices.
316 words, about 2 min03Communicating Effectively: Active Listening and Evoking Awareness
Listens Actively means listening for the client's whole context - values, beliefs, emotions, metaphors, energy shifts - not just content, and reflecting or summarizing in service of the client rather than to display understanding. Evokes Awareness means using questions, silence, metaphor, observation, and appropriate challenge to open new insight, without steering toward the coach's preferred answer.
300 words, about 2 min04Cultivating Learning and Growth: Facilitating Client Growth
One competency, but a demanding one: partnering with the client to turn awareness into action. The coach supports the client in designing goals, exploring options, planning next steps, and integrating learning - while the client owns the plan.
316 words, about 2 min