ICF credentialing
The ICF Performance Evaluation Explained
By Gary Malcolm, Master Certified Coach (ICF) · Updated 1 September 2026
Key takeaways
- The ICF performance evaluation is the assessment of recorded coaching sessions that ACC, PCC and MCC candidates submit to demonstrate competence: 1 recording for ACC, 2 for PCC and MCC, each with a verbatim timestamped transcript.
- ICF assessors mark observable behavior against the Core Competencies; results take 6 to 8 weeks after assessor assignment, and a failed recording costs $150 to retake.
- For ACC and PCC portfolio candidates the evaluation ends 31 March 2027, replaced by an MCS mentor coach’s Competency Review Form. MCC keeps recordings.
- Most failures come from recurring habits, not missing skills: summaries that steer, stacked or leading questions, evaluative praise, coach-designed actions.
In the ICF performance evaluation, trained assessors listen to your recorded coaching sessions and mark observable behavior against the ICF Core Competencies. ACC portfolio candidates submit one recording, PCC and MCC candidates submit two, each 20 to 60 minutes, continuous and unedited, with a verbatim timestamped transcript.
What assessors actually mark
Assessors mark behavior they can point to in the recording, not rapport or your client’s breakthroughs: whether the agreement includes measures of success, whether your summaries hand the thread back to the client, whether questions arrive one at a time without your preferred answer inside them, whether the client designs the actions. At PCC level the instrument is the 37 PCC Markers across the 8 competencies; ACC and MCC use Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales. The habits that most often hold a recording below standard can feel like good coaching at the time, so they are easy to miss when you listen back.
Fees, timelines, and the deadline
Results arrive 6 to 8 weeks after an assessor is assigned. A failed recording costs $150 to retake, within a 6-month window. For ACC and PCC portfolio candidates the pathway also has an end date: recordings are accepted only through 31 March 2027, after which an MCS-credentialed mentor coach’s Competency Review Form replaces them. MCC candidates keep the performance evaluation indefinitely.
How to prepare
Record several sessions rather than one. Check the compliance basics on every file. Rank the sessions on evidence rather than how they felt, then check the strongest against the published standards before you submit. Near the deadline, a failed attempt can cost the pathway as well as the $150 retake fee.
Check your recording before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICF performance evaluation?
It is ICF’s assessment of real recorded coaching sessions, submitted with verbatim timestamped transcripts, in which trained assessors evaluate observable coaching behavior against the ICF Core Competencies to decide whether a candidate coaches at ACC, PCC or MCC level.
How many recordings does each credential need?
ACC portfolio applications submit 1 recording, PCC and MCC applications submit 2. Every recording must be 20 to 60 minutes, one continuous unedited file, with its own transcript.
How is the performance evaluation scored?
Assessors mark observable behavior across the full session against level-specific criteria: PCC uses the 37 PCC Markers across the 8 Core Competencies; ACC and MCC use Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales. The verdict is Pass or Below Standard per recording, with written feedback.
What does it cost to fail?
The retake fee is $150 per recording and is not refunded. Results take 6 to 8 weeks after an assessor is assigned, so a failure also costs a full submission cycle, which matters most against the 31 March 2027 recording deadline for ACC and PCC.
When does the performance evaluation end?
For ACC and PCC portfolio applications, 31 March 2027 is the last date to use the recording pathway; from 1 April 2027 an MCS-credentialed mentor coach’s Competency Review Form replaces it. MCC applications keep the performance evaluation.
How do I know if my recording is ready to submit?
Check it against the compliance rules and the behavioral standards before you submit. Review My Coaching reviews your recording against the current ICF standards. Expert reviews include a Submit / Not Yet / Do Not Submit verdict reviewed by Gary Malcolm, MCC.
Can I use an AI transcript for my submission?
You can produce the transcript any way you like, but it must be verbatim, word for word, speaker-labelled, timestamped at every speaker change, and submitted in a word-processing format such as .docx. Most auto-transcripts need substantial correction to reach verbatim standard.