ICF performance evaluation
PCC Markers Explained
By Gary Malcolm, Master Certified Coach (ICF) · Updated 1 September 2026
Key takeaways
- The PCC Markers are 37 observable behaviors across the 8 ICF Core Competencies that assessors use to evaluate PCC performance recordings. Last revised November 2020; the 2025 Minimum Skills Requirements present the same behaviors reorganised as "behaviors consistent with ICF coaching standards".
- Markers are additive: assessors mark the behaviors they observe across the whole session, not a single make-or-break moment.
- The competencies that most often decide Pass vs Below Standard are Listens Actively, Evokes Awareness, and Facilitates Client Growth, and the failing patterns are habits: steering summaries, stacked or leading questions, coach-authored actions.
- The official marker document is free from ICF.
The PCC Markers are 37 observable behaviors, organised under the 8 ICF Core Competencies, that assessors use to evaluate PCC performance recordings. They were last revised in November 2020, and the 2025 Minimum Skills Requirements carry the same behaviors forward in a new format. The document is free from ICF. This guide covers how assessors apply the markers.
How assessors use the markers
Markers are additive and observational. The assessor works through your recording noting the behaviors they can evidence, competency by competency, across the whole session. There is no single make-or-break moment: one strong question cannot carry a session, and one clumsy one rarely fails it. Sessions usually fail on a recurring habit that works against a competency throughout the transcript.
What assessors listen for in each competency
Ethical Practice and Coaching Mindset. Foundational and rarely the deciding factor in a marked session, but boundary slips (advising, consulting, therapy territory) are marked where they occur.
Establishes and Maintains Agreements. Assessors listen for a session agreement with three parts: what the client wants to work on, what would make the session valuable, and how the client will know. A topic alone is the most common shortfall.
Cultivates Trust and Safety. Marked through acknowledgement, respect for the client’s language and frame of reference, and support for the client’s expression. Evaluative praise works against it.
Maintains Presence. Observed in responsiveness to the client rather than an agenda: who fills silences, whether curiosity follows the client’s cues, whether the coach responds in the moment or follows a plan.
Listens Actively. Often the deciding competency. Assessors listen for reflections that capture what the client actually said, attention to emotion and energy shifts, and summaries that hand the thread back rather than steering it.
Evokes Awareness. Clear, direct, one-at-a-time questions about the client and their thinking. Stacked questions, leading questions, and questions with the coach’s answer embedded are marked against this competency more than any other.
Facilitates Client Growth. The close is marked on who authors it: the client designs actions, accountability and support. Coach-proposed homework the client accepts is the classic shortfall.
Why marking your own recording is hard
The behaviors that fail evaluations often feel right at the time. A summary that steers feels like synthesis. A leading question feels helpful. Praise feels like building trust. An outside listener is more likely to hear them the way an assessor will.
Check your recording against the markers before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
What are the ICF PCC Markers for 2026?
In 2026 they are still the 37 observable coaching behaviors, organised under the 8 ICF Core Competencies, that trained assessors use to evaluate whether a recorded coaching session demonstrates PCC-level skill. They were last revised in November 2020 and are published free by ICF.
How many PCC markers are there?
There are 37 markers across the 8 Core Competencies. The 2025 Minimum Skills Requirements documents present the same behaviors as unnumbered bullets under "Behaviors Consistent With ICF Coaching Standards".
Do I need to hit every marker to pass?
No. Assessors evaluate the pattern of observable behavior across the whole session. A session can miss individual markers and pass; what reliably fails sessions is recurring behavior that works against the competencies, such as steering summaries or leading questions.
Which markers fail most candidates?
In practice the deciding competencies are Listens Actively (summaries that narrow or steer what the client said), Evokes Awareness (stacked questions, leading questions, the coach’s answer embedded in the question), and Facilitates Client Growth (the coach designing the actions the client should own).
Where do I get the official PCC Markers document?
From ICF’s website, free. This guide covers how assessors apply the markers.
Can I check my recording against the markers before submitting?
Yes. Review My Coaching reviews your recording against the current ICF standards, with timestamped evidence for each competency. Expert reviews include a Submit / Not Yet / Do Not Submit verdict reviewed by Gary Malcolm, MCC.
Are the markers changing before the 2027 pathway change?
The marker behaviors were not changed by the 2025 Minimum Skills Requirements release; they were reformatted. The bigger change is the pathway itself: ACC and PCC portfolio candidates can submit recordings only through 31 March 2027.