Life Coaching Certification

A life coaching certification can definitely add credibility to your coaching business and if you have the desire, money and time you should consider this as an initial step and investment to building a successful career as a life coach.

There are different types of credentials and certificates, but we focus on the most well-known and respected certification which comes from the International Coach Federation or ICF.

This organization is known among coaches globally and you can’t go wrong with choosing a life coaching program that results in certification that is recognized by this body.

There are 3 different credentials that one might choose from and much will depend on the time and money commitment that you have for this investment.  The credentials include the Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and the Master Certified Coach (MCC). The credentials each have a certain number of hours and other requirements that we will go over below.

1. Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Life Coach Certification

ACC requirements for those who have gone through an Accredited Coach Training Program:

• An ICF Accredited Coach Training Program must have been completed prior to the application for ACC certification
• Client coaching hours: 100 hrs
• 2 Letters of recommendation from 2 different qualified coaches
• Cost: non ICF members – $300 USD, ICF members – $100 USD

ACC Requirements for those who have NOT gone through an Accredited Coach Training Program:

• Coach training hours: 60 hrs
• Client coaching hours: 100 hrs
• Qualified mentor coach hours: 10 hrs
• 2 Letters of recommendation from 2 different qualified coaches
• Cost: non ICF members – $300 USD, ICF members – $100 USD
• Oral exam: cost $200 USD

2. Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Life Coach Certification

PCC requirements for those who have gone through an Accredited Coach Training Program:

• An ICF Accredited Coach Training Program must have been completed prior to the application for PCC certification
• Client coaching hours: 750 hrs
• 2 Letters of recommendation from 2 different qualified coaches
• Cost: non ICF members – $500 USD, ICF members – $300 USD

PCC Requirements for those who have NOT gone through an Accredited Coach Training Program:

• Coach training hours: 125 hrs
• Client coaching hours: 750 hrs
• Qualified mentor coach hours: 10 hrs
• 2 Letters of recommendation from 2 different qualified coaches
• Cost: non ICF members – $500 USD, ICF members – $300 USD
• A 3-part exam: cost $275 USD

3. Master Certified Coach (MCC) Life Coach Certification

This is a specialized credential for the expert life coach who has logged a minimum of 2,500 client coaching hours and has the desire for continued education and training within the field of coaching.

MCC Requirements:

• Coach training hours: 200 hrs
• Client coaching hours: 2,500 hrs
• Qualified mentor coach hours: 10 hrs
• 3 Letters of recommendation from 3 different qualified coaches
• Cost: non ICF members – $500 USD, ICF members – $300 USD
• A 3-part exam: cost $275 USD

Note: All costs and information are accurate at the time of this posting. You should visit the ICF website here for the latest information and to download the necessary applications if you are ready for this step.

You will notice above that the first path of requirement for the ACC and PCC is the Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP). This would be a intensive training program for life coaching certification that you could get from a number of great schools online. To learn more about these education options, review our article on life coach training.