MCC Minimum Skill Requirements 2026: Your Complete Guide
MCC (Master Certified Coach) is the ICF's highest coaching credential, representing mastery in the coaching profession. The purpose of the MCC Minimum Skill Requirements is to outline the foundational skills needed to demonstrate competency at the MCC 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 MCC Level Mean?
The 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 MCC 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 MCC level |
Tip: For deeper understanding, compare the MCC Minimum Skill Requirements with the ICF Core Competencies—seeing them side by side provides valuable insights into how they align and will help elevate your coaching practice.
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 Credentialing 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 partners with the client to identify the focus for the session |
| Coach explores and clarifies various aspects of the topic |
| Coach confirms mutual understanding of the client's desired session outcome |
| Coach notices potential shifts that emerge in the conversation and clarifies the desired direction of the session with the client |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not partner with the client to support the client's full autonomy when establishing the session agreement |
| Coach does not explore the desired outcome for the session to a degree that provides clarity about the client's intention or direction for the session |
| Coach's responses are generic and do not reflect the specific words and concepts the client uses in formulating the session agreement |
| Coach remains unresponsive to potential shifts that emerge and does not partner with the client to clarify the client's preference to continue in the same direction or shift to an emerging, new, or related direction |
| Coach subtly or overtly influences the client's choice of how to use their 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 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 responds to what the client says about their emotions or behaviors in a judgmental 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 notices what motivates the client and what the client finds important |
| Coach shares observations, insights, or feelings in a curious, exploratory manner |
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 bases their responses on an understanding of both the client and the situation |
| Coach notices and acknowledges the client's emotions, energy, or non-verbal cues |
| Coach explores the client's insights, behaviors, or emotions without prior assumptions |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not demonstrate a listening that is focused on and responds to the client's verbal and non-verbal communication, including body language and emotional cues |
| Most of Coach's responses, questions, and observations are generic rather than customized to what or how the client is expressing about themselves and their situation |
| Coach's responses focus more on solving the client's situation while ignoring the insights and information the client shares about themselves |
| Coach appears to be looking (listening) for an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge about the topic or tell the client what to do about it |
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 partners with the client to explore and expand the client's perspective |
| Coach shares insights, sensings, or observations that support the client in creating new or expanded awareness |
| Coach evokes/stimulates new client insights with short, concise, open-ended questions, one at a time |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not consistently incorporate or use the client's specific words, concepts, and ways of creating |
| Coach does not intentionally provide sufficient deep thinking (reflection) space for the client's full engagement in exploring their emerging awareness |
| Coach pushes/directs the client toward solutions without hearing whether the client still needs deeper thinking, feeling, or sensing |
| Coach's speaking style is complex or confusing for the client |
| Coach does not demonstrate the ability to use questions, observations, insights, silence, or other techniques that encourage the client to deepen their thinking about themselves as well as their agenda |
| Coach does not make use of self to share personal responses, interpretations, or intuitions without attachment |
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 reflect on what they learned about themselves from the coaching session |
| Coach partners with the client to turn insights or learning into actions |
| Coach partners with the client to complete the session |
Non-Compliant Behaviors
| Behavior |
| Coach does not support the client in exploring their progress in the session, their learning, or how they will carry their new insights forward after the session |
| Coach misses opportunities throughout the session to acknowledge (appreciate) the client's progress and learning as it emerges |
| Coach does not partner with the client to ensure the actions the client designs contain sufficient elements to facilitate their implementation |
| Coach suggests or provides specific actions for the client rather than partnering with the client to create their own actions and meaningful ways to implement them |
| Coach does not inquire about/explore the relevance of the client's insights to other aspects of their work or life |
| Coach selects the timing or method for closing the session |
Summary: Key Rules for MCC Assessment
| Rule |
Description |
| "Who" priority |
Who the client is matters more than their situation |
| Natural flow |
Competencies should flow as an inseparable whole |
| Intuition use |
Offer intuitions lightly, without attachment |
| Depth and breadth |
Explore the client's entire being |
| Comfortable silence |
Silence should be productive, not uncomfortable |
| Equal partnership |
Fully horizontal, egalitarian relationship |
This content is for educational purposes. For official ICF standards, visit coachingfederation.org.