IAC IBC Exam cheat sheet

Core competencies cluster into four groups: ethics and mindset, co-creating the relationship, communicating effectively, and cultivating learning and growth.

Coaching ethics rest on informed consent, confidentiality, conflict-of-interest disclosure, and clear boundaries between coaching, therapy, consulting, and mentoring.

Confidentiality has recognized limits: imminent risk of harm, legal or court order, and agreed supervisor disclosure; these are stated at contracting.

A conflict of interest exists when a secondary interest (referral fees, employment ties, personal relationship) could bias coaching judgment; disclose and recuse.

Competency distinctions: coaching elicits the client's own answers; consulting supplies expert advice; therapy treats clinical dysfunction; mentoring transfers experience.

Ethical decision rule: when a situation is not covered by a code, apply the higher standard and seek supervision before acting.

IAC ethical commitments include honoring the client's agenda, avoiding dual relationships that impair objectivity, and representing credentials accurately.

A coaching agreement specifies roles, logistics, fees, session length and frequency, confidentiality terms, cancellation policy, and termination conditions.

Scope of practice: coaching addresses present and future functioning, not diagnosis or treatment of mental health conditions.

Referral trigger: client reports symptoms of clinical disorder, trauma, or substance dependence; pause coaching and refer to a licensed professional.

Three-way contracting applies when a sponsor pays but the client is coached; clarify what is shared with the sponsor versus kept confidential.

Logistics clause fixes who holds the agenda, how between-session contact works, and what happens if the client arrives late or misses sessions.

Contract review points: at intake, at renewal, and whenever goals, participants, or payment arrangements change.

Written agreements reduce role confusion and provide the reference point when expectations diverge mid-engagement.

Trust behaviors: reliability with time and follow-through, non-judgment, genuine curiosity, and matching words to actions.

Psychological safety rises when the coach acknowledges mistakes, invites correction, and treats client emotion as legitimate data.

Empathy is demonstrated by reflecting the client's meaning and feeling, not by sharing the coach's parallel experience.

Rapport is built through presence: minimal distractors, full attention, and silence that allows the client to think aloud.

Boundary markers that protect trust include consistent start and end times, no favoritism, and no promises of outcomes.

Repair rule: name a rupture (missed cue, misattunement) directly, own the coach's part, and re-contract the working agreement.

Trust is tested at moments of challenge; respectful directness delivered with care strengthens rather than damages the alliance.

Three listening levels: internal (coach's own thoughts), focused (client's words), and global (energy, emotion, and what is unsaid).

Paraphrase structure: capture content plus emotion, then check accuracy with a short question rather than assuming agreement.

Open questions begin with what or how; why-questions tend to trigger defensiveness and imply judgment.

Reflecting versus restating: restating repeats content; reflecting returns meaning or feeling to raise awareness.

Interrupting is legitimate when it serves the client, e.g., to halt a spiral or name a limiting pattern, and is named transparently.

Summarizing consolidates themes and marks transitions; it is used at session open, mid-session checkpoints, and close.

Metaphor and the client's own language are reused precisely; substituting coach vocabulary dilutes ownership.

Awareness is raised through observation, feedback, and powerful questions that surface assumptions rather than through coach interpretation.

SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound; use as a checklist, not a rigid formula.

Outcome goals describe the desired end state; performance goals describe doing; process goals describe the daily behavior that produces both.

Goal quality test: stated in the client's words, within the client's control, and testable against a stated evidence criterion.

The learning zone sits between comfort and panic; calibrate challenge so the client stretches without being overwhelmed.

Vision-to-action chain: values clarify vision, vision sets goals, goals decompose into actions, actions produce evidence for reflection.

Reframing converts a stated limitation into a question about possibility; the client generates the new frame, the coach holds the space.

Action plans specify what, when, where, and with whom; vague intentions predict low follow-through.

Implementation intentions (if-then plans) link a cue to a response and raise follow-through by pre-deciding the behavior.

Accountability is client-owned: the coach asks what the client wants to be held to, not what the coach thinks they should do.

Setback protocol: treat lapses as information, examine the cue and context, adjust the plan, and re-commit without shame.

Small wins build self-efficacy; early actions should be low-cost and high-probability to create momentum.

Progress review compares planned action with actual behavior and asks what the client learned, not whether they succeeded.

Motivation follows action as well as preceding it; waiting to feel ready is a common stall pattern to surface.

Assessment tools used in coaching (e.g., 360 feedback, personality inventories, values cards) are conversation starters, not verdicts.

Feedback structure: describe observed behavior, state its impact, invite the client's perspective, and ask what they want to do with it.

Reflection cycle: experience, observation of what happened, analysis of meaning, and planned experiment.

Reflective practice formats include session notes, supervision, peer review, and recorded-session review with consent.

Self-assessment bias (overconfidence or harsh self-criticism) is tested by comparing client perception with external evidence.

Evaluation of coaching outcomes uses agreed measures set at contracting: goal attainment, behavioral indicators, or stakeholder feedback.

Supervision is a developmental and quality safeguard, distinct from therapy and from performance appraisal.

Practice records include agreements, session notes, consent forms, and billing; retain per jurisdiction and insurer requirements.

Data protection basics: collect only what is needed, secure storage, defined access, and a stated retention and deletion period.

Continuing development combines formal education, supervision or mentoring, peer practice, and reflective learning logs.

Credential maintenance typically requires documented continuing education hours, ethics content, and renewal fees on a set cycle.

Professional indemnity insurance and a clear business entity structure separate personal and practice liability.

Marketing claims must be accurate: no implied clinical credentials, no guaranteed results, and clear disclosure of fees.

Personal sustainability: caseload limits, session spacing, and scheduled recovery protect the quality of attention delivered.