Quick answer. The International Coaching Federation is replacing the current credentialing exam for PCC and MCC candidates with a redesigned assessment it calls the PCC-MCC Exam. First available test dates are November 10, 2026. From November 10, 2026 through March 31, 2027, candidates testing (or retesting) may choose either exam — both award the identical credential. March 31, 2027 is the final date to sit the current exam; from April 1, 2027 the new PCC-MCC Exam is the only option. The ACC Exam is not affected. (ICF candidate guide)
What began as an invitation-only pilot in December 2025 is now a confirmed, scheduled exam change. If you are a PCC or MCC candidate — or you run a program whose students are — the question in every cohort chat right now is the same one an MCS-credentialed mentor coach put to her LinkedIn audience this week: during the window where you can pick either exam, which way should you choose?
This guide lays out the verified timeline, what the new exam actually contains, and a practical way to decide.
Important disclaimer. Mentor Coaching AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Coaching Federation. We summarise publicly available ICF announcements to help coaches plan. Exam policies can evolve — verify the latest details directly on the ICF website before scheduling your exam.
The verified timeline
Three dates matter, all published by ICF:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 10, 2026 | First available test dates for the new PCC-MCC Exam; the transition period begins. |
| November 10, 2026 – March 31, 2027 | Transition window: candidates testing or retesting may take either exam. Both lead to the same PCC or MCC credential. |
| March 31, 2027 | Final date to sit the current ICF Credentialing Exam. From April 1, 2027, all tests and retests use the new PCC-MCC Exam. |
Source: ICF — A Candidate's Guide to the Updated Credentialing Exam.
You may have seen additional dates circulating on social media — for example, a registration-opening date in October 2026. As of early September 2026, ICF's public pages do not confirm a specific registration-opening date, so we omit it here. The scheduling mechanics ICF does publish are unchanged: approved applicants receive an exam invitation email and then have 60 days to schedule and complete the exam.
Note that this timeline runs alongside — but separate from — the 2027 changes to mentor coaching and performance evaluations. If you are juggling both, our guides to the ACC & PCC performance evaluation changes and whether to complete mentor coaching before 2027 cover that parallel track.
What is actually in the new PCC-MCC Exam
ICF has published the structure in unusual detail:
- 80 items in total: 44 situational judgment items and 36 knowledge-based multiple-choice items.
- 150 minutes, including one optional 10-minute break midway.
- Four sections: 18 knowledge-based items, then 22 situational judgment items, then (after the optional break) 18 more knowledge-based items and 22 more situational judgment items.
- Situational judgment items present a realistic coaching scenario and ask you to select the most effective and least effective responses.
- Knowledge-based items are direct questions on coaching concepts, principles, and professional standards — with less reading time per item than the current exam's dense scenarios. This item type is not new to ICF: it is already used on the ACC Exam.
The exam incorporates ICF's most recent updates to the Core Competencies and Code of Ethics — a meaningful shift, given that ICF's own exam page notes the current exam is still built on the 2019 competencies and 2020 ethics code. The four assessed domains are unchanged: Foundation; Co-Creating the Relationship; Communicating Effectively; Cultivating Learning and Growth.
ICF also states that the overall difficulty level and expected pass rate remain consistent with the current exam, and that it will publish a free tutorial on the new format before November 10, 2026.
How it differs from the current exam
The current ICF Credentialing Exam for PCC and MCC candidates is 78 situational-judgment items — scenarios all the way down. The new exam trades roughly half of that scenario load for direct knowledge questions. In practice:
- If long scenario reading fatigues you, the new format's shorter knowledge items and built-in break may suit you better.
- If you have strong scenario intuition but shakier recall of competency definitions, ethics clauses, and terminology, the current format plays to your strength — and it remains available through March 31, 2027.
"Which way will people choose?" — deciding during the transition window
ICF's own guidance is deliberately neutral: take "whichever exam best fits your timeline." Both exams award the identical credential, and neither is presented as easier. So the decision is yours. Here is a practical way to think it through:
Reasons to take the current exam (before March 31, 2027):
- You are already deep into preparation built around scenario-only practice.
- You want to test in one of the current exam's published languages. ICF lists 16 languages for the current exam (including Spanish, French, German, Turkish, Japanese, and others) but has not yet published language availability for the new PCC-MCC Exam — the 2025-26 pilot ran in English only. If testing in your first language matters to you, this is currently the strongest concrete reason not to wait.
- Your application timing lands you in the window anyway and you would rather take a format with years of candidate experience behind it.
Reasons to wait for the new PCC-MCC Exam:
- Your knowledge of the updated competencies and ethics code is current, and you would rather be assessed against the framework you actually trained on.
- You prefer shorter items and a structured break to 78 consecutive dense scenarios.
- Your timeline naturally puts your exam after March 2027 — in which case there is no decision to make.
One logistical note from ICF: candidates already in "ready for exam" status who prefer to wait for the new exam can contact ICF support to request postponement of their exam invitation. If your 60-day scheduling window would otherwise force the current exam, that is the lever.
What we would not do is rush an application solely to catch the current exam, or delay one solely to catch the new one. ICF designed the transition so that neither cohort is disadvantaged — the pass expectations are stated to be consistent. Choose based on preparation style and language needs, not exam-shopping.
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Analyze a session freeDoes this affect ACC candidates?
No. ICF is explicit that the change applies to PCC and MCC credentialing only. The ACC Exam continues as-is (and, as noted, already uses the knowledge-based item type the new PCC-MCC exam is adopting). If you are still deciding which credential to pursue, our ACC vs PCC vs MCC comparison guide walks through the full progression.
How to prepare — for either format
The encouraging part of ICF's announcement: existing study materials and resources "will continue to serve candidates well," and familiarity with the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics remains "the best preparation." The preparation that works is format-agnostic, because both formats ultimately test the same thing — whether you recognise competent coaching when you see it.
1) Anchor to the updated competencies and ethics code
The new exam is aligned to ICF's most recent updates. Even if you sit the current exam, the updated framework is what your coaching future runs on. Walk through the changes deliberately — our breakdowns of the PCC minimum skill requirements and MCC minimum skill requirements map the behavioural bar at each level.
2) Train the "most effective / least effective" reflex
The situational judgment items ask you to identify both the strongest and weakest response to a scenario. That second half is underrated: many candidates can spot good coaching but hesitate ranking mediocre options. When you review coaching — your own recordings, buddy sessions, mentor coaching demos — practise articulating not just what worked, but what the least competency-aligned move in that moment would have been, and why.
3) For the knowledge items, actually learn the vocabulary
Half-remembered terminology is survivable in a scenario-only exam; it is not in direct knowledge questions. If you are aiming at the new format, spend real time with competency language, ethics clauses, and ICF's definitions — the same vocabulary your assessor uses in a performance evaluation.
4) Use your own sessions as the training set
Abstract scenario banks only get you so far. Your own recorded sessions (with client consent) are the highest-yield study material you have: they contain your actual habits, including the ones a "least effective response" option is designed to tempt you with. Reviewing a session against the ICF competencies — noting where a competency showed up, where it went missing, and what the stronger move was — is situational judgment practice with stakes. This is where Mentor Coaching AI genuinely helps: a free competency analysis of a real session gives you specific moments to reason about, rather than generic vignettes. It is a magnifying glass for your own coaching — useful alongside your mentor coach, never instead of ICF's actual assessment.
5) Watch for ICF's free tutorial
ICF has committed to releasing a free tutorial on the new format before November 10, 2026. If you are leaning toward the new exam, that tutorial — not third-party guesswork — should be your format reference.
Frequently asked questions
When does the new ICF PCC-MCC Exam launch?
First available test dates are November 10, 2026, per ICF's candidate guide.
Can I choose which exam to take?
Yes — if you test or retest between November 10, 2026 and March 31, 2027, you may take either the current ICF Credentialing Exam or the new PCC-MCC Exam. Both award the identical credential. From April 1, 2027, only the new exam is offered.
What is the format of the new exam?
80 items — 44 situational judgment and 36 knowledge-based multiple-choice — across four sections in 150 minutes, with one optional 10-minute break. Situational judgment items ask for the most and least effective responses to realistic coaching scenarios.
Is the new exam harder?
ICF states the overall difficulty level and expected pass rate remain consistent with the current exam. The mix is different — less scenario reading, more direct knowledge questions — so which format feels harder depends on your preparation style.
Does this change affect the ACC exam?
No. The change applies to PCC and MCC credentialing only.
What happens to retakes during the transition?
Retests during the transition window may also use either exam. On or after April 1, 2027, retests use the new PCC-MCC Exam.
Will the new exam be available in my language?
ICF has not yet published language availability for the new PCC-MCC Exam; the current exam is offered in 16 languages, and the 2025-26 pilot ran in English only. If testing in a specific language matters to you, verify with ICF before deciding which exam to schedule.
I'm "ready for exam" now but want the new format — what do I do?
ICF has indicated that candidates in "ready for exam" status who prefer to wait can contact ICF support ([email protected]) to request postponement rather than letting the 60-day scheduling window force the current exam.
What happened to the exam pilot?
The invitation-based pilot ran from December 2, 2025 through March 2026, testing a blended format with PCC and MCC candidates. The shipping exam refines what was piloted (the final structure is 36 knowledge + 44 situational judgment items in 150 minutes). Pilot participants fully met credentialing requirements.
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Analyze a session freeSources
- ICF — A Candidate's Guide to the Updated Credentialing Exam
- ICF — Understanding the Latest Credentialing Exam Changes (for Educators)
- ICF — Credentialing Exam Pilot for MCC & PCC
- ICF — PCC-MCC Exam page
If you want a concrete next step: pick one recent coaching session, run a free competency analysis against the ICF competencies, and for the three sharpest moments write down the most effective and least effective response you could have made. That is the new exam's core skill — and it is built one observed session at a time.