ACC Minimum Skill Requirements 2026: Your Complete Guide
ACC (Associate Certified Coach) represents the entry-level ICF coaching credential. The purpose of the ACC Minimum Skill Requirements is to outline the foundational skills needed to demonstrate competency at the ACC level.
Copyright Notice: This content is prepared for educational purposes within the ICF Core Competencies framework. Official English standards are copyrighted by the International Coaching Federation.
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Note: For official resources, visit ICF Credentialing.
What Does ACC Level Mean?
This document follows the ICF Core Competencies and for each competency you will find the following sections:
| Section |
Description |
| Core Skills |
Based on the ICF Core Competencies, these represent the relevant foundational coaching skills for each competency area; applicable at all credential levels |
| Compliant Behaviors |
These sections describe the observable actions coaches should demonstrate that reflect effective coaching practice at ACC level |
| Non-Compliant Behaviors |
These lists indicate actions that may disrupt the coaching process or diminish the quality of the coaching experience and do not meet the standard of coaching skills expected at ACC level |
Tip: For deeper understanding, compare the ACC Minimum Skill Requirements with the ICF Core Competencies—seeing them side by side provides valuable insights into how they align.
Competency 1: Demonstrates Ethical Practice
Familiarity with the ICF Code of Ethics and its application is required at all coaching levels. To obtain any credential from the ICF, you must demonstrate a strong understanding of ethical practice in coaching.
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Demonstrates a strong understanding of and adherence to the ICF Code of Ethics |
| Consistently remains in the role of coach; demonstrates knowledge of how to structure a coaching session and maintains focus on the present and future |
| Uses foundational coaching skills such as cultivating trust and safety, maintaining presence, active listening, and evoking awareness to facilitate the client's own insights |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| The coach clearly violates the ICF Code of Ethics |
| The coach's focus is primarily on telling the client what to do or how to do it (consulting mode). Or the session is primarily based on the past—particularly the emotional past (therapeutic mode) |
| The coach primarily gives advice or tells the client what they should do throughout the session |
Competency 2: Embodies a Coaching Mindset
Embodying a coaching mindset—an open, curious, flexible, and client-centered mindset—is a process that requires ongoing personal and professional learning and development as a coach. These elements occur throughout a coach's professional journey and cannot be fully captured in a single moment.
Your understanding of this competency is assessed in the ICF ACC Written Exam.
Competency 3: Establishes and Maintains Agreements
Core Skills
| Skill |
| Coach co-creates an agreement for the session with the client |
| Coach partners with the client to define the components of the agreement |
| Unless the client indicates otherwise, Coach continues to move toward the client's desired outcome |
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach explores the client's topic with the client |
| Coach and client come to agreement about what the client wants to accomplish as the outcome for the session |
| Coach explores the meaning of the coaching outcome for the client |
| Coach attends to the agreed-upon agenda throughout the session |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| There is no conversation between the coach and client to come to agreement about the topic for the session |
| Coach selects the topic for the session |
| Coach does not verbally confirm what the client wants to accomplish as the session outcome |
| Coach does not coach around the client's chosen topic |
| If the conversation strays from the selected agenda during the session, Coach does not notice or explore with the client which direction they want to go for the remainder of the session |
Competency 4: Cultivates Trust and Safety
Core Skills
| Skill |
| Coach partners with the client to create a safe, supportive environment that encourages the client to share freely |
| Coach trusts and respects the client's unique ways of thinking/processing and creating |
| Coach is open and transparent to strengthen mutual trust and safety |
| Coach acknowledges the client's unique contributions in the coaching process |
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach shows sensitivity to what and how the client is communicating |
| Coach acknowledges the client's perspective, perceptions, or what they are feeling |
| Coach pays attention to what is important for the client |
| Coach is non-judgmental about the client's emotions or behaviors |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach is insensitive to the client's perspective or experiences |
| Coach minimizes or ignores what the client is saying |
| Coach responds to what the client says in a judgmental or critical way |
Competency 5: Maintains Presence
Core Skills
| Skill |
| Coach is comfortable working with new information or insights |
| Coach remains open without being triggered by the client's emotions and thoughts |
| Coach intentionally opens space for the client to think, feel, and explore |
| Coach partners with the client without trying to manage or direct the client |
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach uses questions, observations, and silence to explore factors influencing the client's current and future thinking, behavior, or emotions |
| Coach demonstrates awareness of what motivates the client and what the client finds important |
| Coach approaches the client's experience without prior assumptions and accepts the client's response |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach appears triggered by the client's emotions or thoughts |
| Coach approaches the client's experience with prior assumptions |
| Coach tries to manage or direct the client |
Competency 6: Listens Actively
Core Skills
| Skill |
| Coach listens to hear what the client is saying and not saying to understand the context and the client's systems |
| Coach integrates the words or concepts used by the client when questioning or exploring what the client has expressed |
| Coach notices the client's emotions, energy, non-verbal cues, and other behaviors and invites these to emerge |
| Coach reflects back the content of the client's communication to confirm and clarify Coach's understanding |
| Coach approaches the client's experience without prior assumptions and accepts the client's response |
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach listens by noticing emotions, perceptions, challenges, or beliefs |
| Coach questions, explores, or makes space for the client's use of language |
| Coach summarizes or paraphrases what the client has communicated to confirm Coach's understanding |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not demonstrate a listening that is focused on or sensitive to what or how the client is communicating |
| Coach's responses are not relevant to what the client wants to accomplish |
| Coach appears to be looking for a place where Coach can demonstrate their knowledge on the topic or tell the client what they should do |
| Coach's summaries or paraphrasing are overly long or complex |
| Coach does not ask the client to respond to Coach's summaries/paraphrasing to ensure accuracy and shared understanding |
Competency 7: Evokes Awareness
Core Skills
| Skill |
| Coach uses questions, observations, silence, and other techniques to support the client in gaining insight about themselves and their topic |
| Coach shares personal responses—such as interpretations or intuitions—without attachment or direction, in ways that may support the client's insight or learning |
| Coach explores the client's emotions, needs, underlying beliefs, and ways of thinking, creating, and learning |
| Coach invites the client to identify factors influencing their current and future thinking, behavior, or emotions |
| Coach adapts their approach to the client's needs and style |
| Coach intentionally opens space for the client to fully respond |
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach supports the client in seeing the situation from different perspectives |
| Coach questions the client's emotions, perceptions, behaviors, or beliefs |
| Coach asks clear and open-ended questions; asks one question at a time |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not ask questions that allow the client to explore their own thoughts, feelings, values, needs, wants, beliefs, or behaviors |
| Coach's questions direct the client toward Coach's perspective |
| Coach does not explore the client's perspective before presenting Coach's perceptions |
| Coach asks more than one question without leaving space for the client to respond |
| Coach's questions or observations are generic and not specific to who the client is or their situation |
| Coach leaves little space for the client to respond |
Competency 8: Facilitates Client Growth
Core Skills
| Skill |
| Coach partners with the client to explore session progress and learning |
| Coach supports the client in evaluating how to integrate new awareness into their worldview and behaviors |
| Coach partners with the client to design actions that reflect new learning |
| Coach supports the client in identifying what they need to follow through on designed actions |
| Coach partners with the client to close the session |
Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach invites the client to explore progress or learning in the session |
| Coach invites the client to articulate what they have learned about themselves or their situation in this session |
| Coach invites the client to explore what they did in this session and how they plan to use it going forward |
| Coach supports the client in identifying reflections, insights, and/or actions |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not support the client in exploring their progress in the session, their learning, or how they plan to use their new learning |
| Coach articulates the session's progress without asking for the client's input |
| Coach suggests or provides specific actions without allowing the client to design their own actions |
| Coach does not demonstrate sufficient flexibility in accommodating the client's insights and actions; ends the session with a structured close |
| Coach selects the method or timing for closing the session |
Summary: Key Rules for ACC Assessment
| Rule |
Description |
| One question at a time |
Ask only one question, then wait for the response |
| Client's words |
Integrate the client's language into your questions and observations |
| Silence |
Give the client thinking space; don't jump in |
| Partnership |
Ask "What would you like to do?" instead of "Let's do this" |
| Learning connection |
Link actions to insights that emerged in the session |
| Role clarity |
Stay in the coach role; avoid consulting or therapy mode |
This content is for educational purposes. For official ICF standards, visit coachingfederation.org.