Coffee and Conversations: Your ICF Questions Answered

Coffee and Conversations: Your ICF Questions Answered

Coffee and Conversations is an informal gathering that Nina organises through her mailing list. Make sure you are signed up so you don’t miss out.

If you want to find out more about The Professional Coaching and NLP programme, visit ninamadden.com/learn.

This is a summary from the 17^th May 2026 Coffee and Conversations session. This was an open session for graduates, students and non-students to get together and talk through, this time, ICF accreditation.

Here are the questions from this session.

What is the ICF?

The ICF is the International Coaching Federation. It is a global not-for-profit organisation. Think of it as both an accreditation board and a membership body for coaches all over the world. It has been around for at least 35 years and has thousands of coaches as members.

Its job is to set the standard for what coaching is and what it should look like. It runs conferences, networking events, and a Paris conference draws some of the biggest names in the field. It is also up to date with things like AI and what that means for coaching ethics.

Why does ICF accreditation matter?

There are around 80,000 people calling themselves coaches in the UK. Only around 3,000 are ICF members. That puts you in roughly the top one or two percent just by completing an ICF-accredited training.

The ICF sets quality standards that training providers have to meet. It takes about 18 months for a training provider to become accredited. They have to submit manuals, lesson plans, student coaching videos, and policies covering everything from complaints to learning disabilities. Providers renew every two years.

When you carry the ICF badge, clients know you have met a real standard.

What is the difference between ICF accreditation and an ICF credential?

This trips people up. The training provider is accredited. You, as a coach, get a credential. Different word, same idea. The training school holds the accreditation. You hold the credential.

What are the three ICF credential levels?

• ACC (Associate Certified Coach) - the first level
• PCC (Professional Certified Coach) - the second level
• MCC (Master Certified Coach) - the highest level

How do I get my ACC credential?

Here is the path:

1. Complete an ICF-accredited Level One coach training of at least 60 hours. Half of those hours must be live and in contact with your trainer. The other half can be assignments, practice, reading, or videos.
2. Within your training, you need 10 hours of coach mentoring. This must be done by an ICF-qualified mentor. 
3. Log 100 hours of independent coaching practice. You can start counting from day one of your training. 75 of those hours must be paid coaching. 
4. Go to the ICF website, confirm your training provider and mentor, and confirm your 100 hours.
5. Sit the CKA exam. It takes around 90 minutes and is mostly behavioural questions. You are asked what you would do in different scenarios, including ethical dilemmas. You may need 85 percent to pass. Check the ICF website to confirm the pass mark and what happens if you need to retake.

If you trained with an ICF-accredited provider, such as us, who gives you the direct route, the evaluation takes about four weeks.

Can I join the ICF before I have my credential?

Yes. You can become a member as soon as you start an ICF-accredited training. Membership gives you access to their resource library, conference invitations, and events. You pay a membership fee, which is around 300 US dollars per year. Check the ICF website for the current cost and payment options.

Membership and your credential are separate things. You need to be a member to get your credential.

What are the ICF core competencies?

There are eight. They include among others demonstrating ethical practice, embodying the coaching mindset, active listening, and evoking awareness. Your training should shape you so you can embody these in your coaching sessions.

When you renew your credential every three years, you need to show you have done continued professional development. Some of that must be in the core competencies and ethics. The ICF library has free training you can use. Topics include somatic coaching, team coaching, ethics, and AI in coaching.

What is the difference between the direct route and the portfolio route to ACC?

The direct route is for coaches who trained with an ICF-accredited provider. It is faster, around four weeks to process.

The portfolio route is for coaches whose training was not accredited at the time. You have to show the ICF that your training meets the same standard. That means submitting manuals, hours, curriculum, and assessments. It takes around 14 weeks. It is possible, just more work.

What happens if you do not pass the CKA exam?

The ICF does not tell you which questions you got wrong. They keep the exam contents private. Check directly with the ICF about retake options, waiting periods, and any retake fees.

How does PCC compare to ACC?

To get your PCC credential you need 125 hours of coach training and 500 coaching hours, of which 450 must be paid.

For MCC, you need 200 hours of training and around 2,000 coaching hours.

What about ANLP? Do I need that too?

The ANLP is a separate membership body for NLP practitioners. It is simpler to join than the ICF. You submit your certificate and a reference from your trainer, and pay a membership fee. No extra evidence is needed.

In terms of legitimacy, the ICF is the stronger credential if you want clients to recognise what you have. But both give you digital badges you can use on your website and LinkedIn. People do check credentials on LinkedIn.

Karen, the head of ANLP, will be coming to talk to our students directly, so you will be able to hear from her what the ANLP offers.

What about EMCC? How does it compare to ICF?

The EMCC is the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. It is a similar kind of body. The ICF is bigger and older. If you want the most widely recognised credential, the ICF is the one to go for.

What are the most common ethics complaints coaches face?

The ICF has an independent review board. The most common complaints are around:

• Confidentiality breaches
• Not managing boundaries clearly
• Dual relationships (being a coach and a friend or business partner to the same person)
• Not being transparent about how services are structured
• Termination and refund disputes

Being clear from the start, on your website and in your discovery call, protects both you and your client.

What should I know about contracts and termination?

Clients have the right to end coaching at any time. This is part of the ICF code of ethics and one of the areas where most complaints arise.

If a client pays for six sessions and only uses three, what happens? Have a clear answer to that question before you start. Put it in your terms and conditions.

A simple approach is to offer a refund of unused sessions, with a window, such as 14 days from the last session, in which they must request it. That protects you if a client disappears and comes back six months later asking for money back.

What about coaching people under 18?

There are rules around this. Two people in the room is one requirement. There are also questions around confidentiality, parental consent, and whether a child can disclose something you are then obliged to share. If you work with young people, contact the ICF directly and get proper guidance before you start.

How do you get your first coaching clients?

This came up from two graduates and the answers were honest and practical.

One graduate found her first clients through the free coaching practice during training. Three of those people came back and asked to continue as paying clients. A few more came through the Life Coaching Directory. Word of mouth from her hairdresser brought in a handful. A couple came through the hospital where she volunteers with a therapy dog. She does not use social media, and she learned that if you are not online, some people genuinely do not believe you exist.

Her advice: talk about it. Tell people what you do. In person, in real conversations.

My view is that coaching clients come from connection not from broadcasting on social media. The nervous system is present. Micro-expressions are present. Everything real is happening in the room or on the call. A discovery call is where most clients say yes, because they have had a real conversation with you. Social media can help people check you out after they have met you. It is rarely where the relationship starts.

On pricing when you are new, one graduate started at 60 pounds a session, three sessions for 150, and found that many clients booked six. She plans to raise her rates in 2027 once she has more experience. Charging a little less at the start made her feel comfortable enough to build confidence without anxiety about getting it wrong.

Should I do business cards or leaflets?

Both came up. The consensus was that a business card is worth doing. When you meet someone and the conversation turns to coaching, having something physical to hand over helps. It gives them something to look at later and something to pass on.

Your card needs your name, what you do, and somewhere to find you, whether that is a website, Instagram, or both.

Having a website is not optional. Even clients who find you in person will go online to check you out before they book.

Where can I find the ICF core competencies?

They are in the learning portal, under Coaching Diploma, then ICF Documentation. You can download them from there. You can also find them on the ICF website directly.

Where do I find out about joining the Life Coaching Directory?

You will get this information by email when you complete the course and receive your certificate. If you cannot find the email, just ask.

Coffee and Conversations is an informal gathering that Nina organises through her mailing list. Make sure you are signed up so you don’t miss out.

If you want to find out more about The Professional Coaching and NLP programme, visit ninamadden.com/learn.