Why Coach Certification Matters

There are two leading bodies setting standards for life coaching. One is the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the Health Board Certified Coach organization. The ICF is more established, founded in 1995. (For more on the ICF in the question below.) The other is the Health Board Certified Coach is relatively new, founded a few years ago. However, the Health Board has also partnered with certifying bodies in the medical field and offers a Health Board Coach certification. Board test is much more rigorous in knowledge-based learning about health than the ICF’s Knowledge Based Assessment. However, Certified Health Board Coaches can team up with a doctor to offer life coaching sessions under certain insurance plans. 

Coach Training EDU, an organization accredited by the ICF and approved by the Health Board, offers its own certification after successfully completing a complete course and passing certain standards in coaching overviews.

ICF stands for the International Coach Federation. Founded in 1995 by pioneers of the coaching field, it’s aim was to define and establish robust standards for the emerging field. In order to create awareness and guidelines of what coaching is and isn’t, competing training organizations recognized the need to create standards that transcended any one training organization. Decades later, the ICF is still one of the leading organizations in establishing standards for the profession and recently updated its core competencies in the fall of 2020.  that 

The ICF does not offer any direct coach training itself (other than continuing education credits). Rather the ICF accredits programs, approves coach training hours, and credentials individual coaches.  

The ICF has multiple levels of certification, each with their own standards and requirements. Below is a brief summary of ICF certification & application, but it is best to review the standards and requirements on the ICF website, as they are subject to change. 

Associate Certified Coach. This certification requires 60 hours of coach-specific training and ten hours of mentor coaching. This requirement is satisfied by completing any CTEDU 1.0 coach training program. This certification also requires a minimum of 100 coaching experience hours, which you will need to complete both during and after the course has concluded. Finally, you will be required to take and pass a Coach Knowledge Assessment to achieve certification. The cost of the certification varies based on which path you choose to take.

Professional Certified Coach. This certification requires 125 hours of coach-specific training and ten hours of mentor coaching. This requirement is satisfied by completing both the CTEDU 1.0 & 2.0 coach training programs. This certification also requires a minimum of 500 coaching experience hours, which you will need to complete both during and after the course has concluded. Finally, you will be required to take and pass a Coach Knowledge Assessment to achieve certification. The cost of the certification varies based on which path you choose to take.

Master Certified Coach. This certification requires 200 hours of coach-specific training and ten hours of mentor coaching. This certification also requires a minimum of 2,500 coaching experience hours, which you will need to complete both during and after the course has concluded. The cost of the certification varies based on which path you choose to take.

The ICF provides a detailed, step-by-step process for how to apply to for an ICF credential on their website. 

Coach Training EDU offers life coach certification as part of the 1.0 and 2.0 training programs. This certification is included in your package and requires the following: 

• Course Completion
• 10 Mentor Coaching Hours
• Passing an Overview 

Coach Training EDU offers tons of resources for exam success: 

• Access to course trainers to offer assessment/exam-specific questions
• Coaching Pods to discuss assessment/exam-specific questions with fellow coaches
• Power Hours to practice coaching skills beyond the course 
• Study sessions 
• Print resources for exam preparation

Throughout the program, you will have ongoing access to your coach trainers, exclusive access to workshops and webinar series, and opportunities to practice your coaching skills through coaching pods and power hours. You will also have access to business building tips and materials, offered throughout the course and on your Coach Portal.