How to Choose a Coach Training Program: 25 Criteria Based on International Standards
I spent $5,000 and six months on an “accredited” program and still came away without understanding what coaching was. If you are choosing a coach training program, take a few minutes before you pay.
I am sharing this because I made the very mistake you may be about to make.
When I first entered the profession, everything looked convincing. The program was accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The trainers had certificates. The website presented the training clearly and professionally. Six months of classes, a $5,000 investment, and a certificate confirming completion of an ICF-accredited program.
Yet what I was being taught was not coaching.
The curriculum covered NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), the Wheel of Life, logical levels pyramids, and Disney thinking hats.
When I began researching how to earn an international coaching credential, I discovered something I had never expected. I did not understand what professional coaching actually was. Everything I had been taught fell outside the profession’s international standards. I had to start my path to credentialing all over again.
After six months and $5,000, I was back at the beginning.
I am writing this article because this situation is common in the training market. You have an opportunity to check any program before enrolling, using information that ICF makes publicly available. Usually, no one tells you about it before you pay.
The Market Has Changed in 10 Years, and the Pitfalls Are Harder to Spot
When I started, the problem was easier to identify. NLP, the Wheel of Life, and logical levels pyramids sometimes appeared directly in the schedule or program description. You simply had to read carefully and know that training in these tools did not meet international coaching standards.
Today, few schools present their programs this way because these approaches have become less relevant.
The coach training market has adapted. Obvious references to tools have largely disappeared from the marketing. They still appear occasionally, tucked away in the course content rather than the headlines. In their place, something more difficult to identify has emerged: proprietary coaching methods with professional-sounding names.
Even harder to detect is a failure to follow the standards within an officially accredited program. Mentor coaching groups exceed the permitted size. Session observers lack the required credentials. Final evaluations are conducted without a properly trained assessor or the required procedure, becoming a box-ticking exercise instead of an assessment of your session against the standard.
These are the new pitfalls, and they are almost impossible to spot from the outside.
The website seems to use the right language. The sales representative seems to give the right answers. Social media is full of testimonials and success stories. The real picture emerges when you examine the detailed schedule, the names and credentials of every team member, and the public directories of international coaching bodies. That is where we will look.
Everything You Need to Check Is Already on the ICF Website, but Few People Mention It
As I began investigating what had happened, I discovered something important.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) publishes its full program accreditation standards. They specify the required training hours, how mentor coaching must be delivered, who may conduct the final performance evaluation, and which credentials trainers must hold.
Anyone can visit the ICF website and check a school before paying, without specialist knowledge of coaching.
These published standards form the basis of the 25 criteria below. I will refer to what the organization’s public documents actually say.
Why I Can Speak About This, and Why It Matters to You Now
The mistake I made 10 years ago turned out to be a valuable learning experience. It pushed me to study international coaching standards more deeply than most practitioners.
Today, I hold a PhD and the ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential. Fewer than 2,200 coaches worldwide hold this credential. I have been in coaching for 10 years and have completed more than 3,300 documented hours of client sessions.
I founded COACHING.UP University, the largest university in Eastern Europe providing coach education aligned with international standards. I am a finalist in the 2026 ICF Coaching Impact Awards, President of the Association for Coaching (AC) in Ukraine, and a former Vice President of ICF Ukraine.
At COACHING.UP University, 4,559 students from 96 countries have graduated from our Level 2 coach training program alone. Across the university, we have more than 7,500 graduates, offer training in seven languages, and run 26 programs.
I know how this system works from inside both a training institution and the professional bodies. Having seen both sides, I want you to make this choice with a clear understanding of what you are paying for.
The Real Reason People Waste Money on Coach Training
Even though the information is public, prospective students rarely verify the claims training providers make. Few people explain where to find the information needed to check them.
Let us start with three terms that are often confused.
A School Certificate, Program Accreditation, and an International Coaching Credential Are Three Different Things
A school certificate confirms that you attended a course. You can receive one after a weekend of classes. It tells you only that you took part in that particular program. A certificate of completion, even from an accredited program, does not entitle you to describe yourself as a certified coach. Nor does a school’s internal “certification.” Unfortunately, this confusion occurs even among graduates of accredited programs.
Program accreditation confirms that a program met the standards of an international professional body and was granted accreditation. There is an important distinction here: the program a school delivers may differ from the one it submitted for accreditation. This happens frequently in the market.
An international credential confirms that an individual coach has personally undergone a competency assessment through an international professional body. This is certification through that organization, separate from the school’s own procedures. Coaches with verified international credentials are valued in the market because their competencies have been independently assessed.
Only 8% of people who describe themselves as coaches on social media hold a current international credential.
The Three Largest Coaching Bodies and Credential Levels: How to Check for Yourself
The world’s three largest coaching bodies are:
ICF: International Coaching Federation, United States. The largest worldwide.
EMCC: European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Belgium. The oldest worldwide.
AC: Association for Coaching, United Kingdom.
ICF, the largest of these organizations, awards three coaching credentials: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master Certified Coach (MCC).
ICF classifies accredited entry-level training programs by level. Level 1 provides a pathway to the ACC credential. Level 2 also accepts complete beginners and provides the education needed to pursue either ACC or PCC directly, without additional training.
You can independently verify a coach’s credential in the public coach directory on the ICF Global website.
The public ICF directory lists 37,000 coaches with international credentials. You can search for any of them by name.
I Have Prepared 25 Criteria to Help You Evaluate a Coach Training Program
COACHING.UP University’s mission is to make coaching aligned with international standards accessible to everyone. Affordability is part of that mission, alongside helping people understand what coaching is, what professional standards look like, how to distinguish quality from persuasive marketing, and how to enter the profession with practical knowledge and international recognition.
This article is part of that mission. Knowing what to check helps protect your investment. Whether you choose COACHING.UP University or another school, what matters is that you make an informed decision.
Each criterion draws on ICF’s publicly available official standards, giving you facts you can verify.
Three Checks That Take 15 Minutes and Help You Decide Whether a School Deserves Your Trust
Criterion 1. The Program Price Is Published on the Website, with No Contact Form Required
You have probably encountered this: you visit a school’s website, read the program description, and cannot find a price anywhere. There is only a “Request pricing” button or a form asking for your contact details. This is a deliberate choice, rather than a technical limitation of the website.
There is a rule that applies in almost any market: when a product’s price is hidden, its cost exceeds its perceived value. Otherwise, why hide it? Once you leave your details, a sales representative begins working with you, focused on making a sale. This is when the pressure is highest and your opportunity to compare programs calmly is most limited. Hidden pricing also breaches the principle of transparency explicitly stated in the ICF Code of Ethics.
Visit the school’s website now. Can you see specific figures, or are you asked to “Request pricing”? The answer tells you more about the school than any testimonial.
At COACHING.UP University, all prices, payment options, and installment terms have been publicly available on the website since our first day.
Criterion 2. A Detailed Schedule Is Available Before Payment, Showing What You Will Actually Learn
Imagine paying for a program without seeing its detailed content. All you have are promises on a website, broad headings that group classes together, and a sales representative’s assurances. A month later, you discover that the training is different from what you expected. This is what can happen when schools say, “We’ll send the schedule after you enroll.”
This goes beyond inconvenience. When applying for accreditation, every accredited program submits a full curriculum to the professional body, including each class, its topic, the competencies covered, and all learning activities. The school already has this document. If it will not show it to you before payment, there is a reason.
A detailed schedule is the only way to establish what you will actually be taught. Sales conversations and testimonials cannot provide that information. A specific list of topics, formats, and activities gives you the real picture. It helps you avoid enrolling in a program that fails to meet all the requirements of its accreditation.
At COACHING.UP University, the full schedule for our Level 2-accredited program is available on the website before you decide to enroll. It covers all seven months, every module and class, and details of each team member who will work with you.
Criterion 3. The School Answers Three Direct Questions
There are three questions worth asking any school directly. If I had asked them at the time, I could have avoided a mistake that cost me months and a substantial amount of money.
First: how long have you been operating? Second: how many students have graduated during that time? Third, and most importantly: how many of those graduates have earned an international coaching credential?
Pay attention to both the answer and the way it is given. Specific figures show respect for your question. Vague statements such as “Many of our graduates work successfully” are a warning sign. A school that does not track how many graduates earn an international credential is not treating that outcome as a genuine goal.
This also tells you something about the knowledge and skills you will have at graduation. Even if you do not plan to pursue a coaching credential, this criterion gives you a clear indication of the program’s depth and quality.
The longer you postpone these questions, the greater the risk of disappointment later.
Since 2019, 4,559 students have graduated from COACHING.UP University’s Level 2 program. Half enrolled to train as professional coaches. Around 800 graduates have earned a verified credential. Of those who apply for an ICF credential, 70% succeed on their first attempt.
In Ukraine, for example, more than 50% of coaches with verified credentials are COACHING.UP University graduates. We support graduates through this stage and track each person by name in the public directory of ICF-credentialed coaches.
Here is another significant milestone: on January 22, 2020, COACHING.UP University introduced Ukraine’s first, and at the time only, ICF ACTP-accredited program, now known as Level 2. Several schools had already been teaching coaching in the country for years.
On May 1, 2020, the first graduate of COACHING.UP University’s inaugural cohort earned the ICF ACC credential, becoming the 20th coach in Ukraine to hold it. On May 8, three more graduates from that first cohort earned their ACC credentials.
This is why asking how many graduates have actually earned a coaching credential is so important. Before COACHING.UP University launched its first cohort, various coaching schools had been operating for years, yet very few coaches held verified credentials. This situation was one of the reasons I founded the university.
Program Accreditation: How to Check the Directory Listing and Training Hours
Criterion 4. The Program Appears in an International Professional Body’s Public Directory, Where You Can Find It Yourself
The word “accredited” on a school’s website is a claim. You can verify it yourself in two minutes, without calling the school or needing specialist knowledge.
Visit the public ICF directory of accredited education programs and enter the school’s name.
If the program is absent, it is not accredited. The certificate you receive will confirm that you completed that particular school’s program. Your path to an international coaching credential will be significantly longer.
The International-Level Professional Coach program is one of six programs worldwide accredited by ICF, EMCC, and AC simultaneously. You can verify this in all three organizations’ directories using the information on the program page.
COACHING.UP University has 14 accredited programs listed in the ICF directory.
COACHING.UP University ranks among the world’s top 20 education providers by number of programs accredited by ICF, the largest coaching body, across all countries and languages.
Criterion 5. The Training Hours on the School’s Website Match the Directory Listing
Here is a situation you may encounter: a school accredits one version of a program with the required number of hours, then teaches students a different version. The difference is invisible from the outside. It may only come to light when a graduate applies for an international coaching credential and is rejected.
Find the program in the ICF directory and check its training hours. Then compare that number with the figure on the school’s website. If they differ, clarify the discrepancy before paying.
ICF requires accredited programs to include:
COACHING.UP University’s Level 2 program includes 137 hours.
Three Content Criteria Most People Overlook in an Accredited Program
Criterion 6. At Least 80% of Training Time Is Devoted to the Eight Coaching Competencies, as Shown in a Detailed Schedule
I know what I spent six months learning in an “accredited” program: NLP, the Wheel of Life, logical levels pyramids, and Disney thinking hats. None of these topics forms part of the coaching competencies or international coaching standards.
You may be thinking, “But the program was accredited, so surely it was fine?” Accreditation confirms that a program met the standards when the application was submitted. What is taught today may differ. That is exactly what happened to me.
ICF requires 80% of training time to focus on the eight core coaching competencies. If a substantial share of the schedule is devoted to “proprietary methods,” “personal growth,” or “marketing for coaches,” this is a breach of the requirements. A detailed schedule is the only way to check this; a general website description is insufficient.
At COACHING.UP University, the detailed schedule for every module is published on the website and mapped to specific competencies. These competencies form the foundation of the accredited program.
Criterion 7. At Least 50% of Training Is Synchronous, Through Live Classes
Imagine learning to drive by watching videos about driving. Coaching presents the same challenge. It is a practical skill developed through practice and real-time feedback. Watching recordings in place of live classes is insufficient to develop that skill. This is why ICF permits only 50% of an accredited program to be delivered through recorded learning.
You might think, “Does it matter if some of the program is recorded? Surely the content is what counts.” Yet this is where an important requirement can quietly be overlooked. ICF requires at least 50% of training time to consist of live, real-time classes.
One question will clarify the situation: what percentage of the accredited training hours will take place live?
[Виділити наступний абзац, наприклад на синій плашці]
COACHING.UP University’s Level 2 program follows a schedule of two live, two-hour Zoom classes per week with a trainer and the group. Recorded lectures are not the main learning format, and there are no homework assignments.
Criterion 8. The Program Excludes Proprietary Tools That Conflict with International Standards
When I discovered that the content I had studied for six months actually conflicted with international coaching standards, I struggled to believe it. The program was accredited, the trainers were experienced, and everything had looked credible.
The reality is that coaching does not use tools. This is a matter of professional standards. There are three reasons why using any tool conflicts with the principles of the coaching profession:
A tool imposes a predetermined path. The coach takes the client through a set structure instead of following the client’s lead. This breaches a fundamental coaching principle.
Choosing a tool requires the coach to assess the client. The coach decides which approach “fits.” Under international standards, making that assessment falls outside the coach’s role.
A tool places the coach in the role of an expert above the client. This conflicts with partnership, the foundation of coaching under international standards.
If the program schedule includes NLP practices, the Wheel of Life, logical levels pyramids, art coaching, or hypnosis, it breaches the standards, regardless of the accreditation displayed on the website. This was the breach that cost me $5,000 and six months of my life.
COACHING.UP University’s coach training program does not teach tools. It focuses on coaching through the eight competencies of the world’s three leading coaching bodies: ICF, EMCC, and AC.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a professional coach, watch our free masterclass.
Observed Sessions: How Many You Need, Who Observes Them, and What Feedback You Should Receive
Criterion 9. An Accredited Program Must Include Observed Coaching Sessions with Feedback
You can conduct coaching sessions for years without knowing whether your work meets international standards. A professional external assessment gives you a clear view of your practice. Observed sessions provide that perspective: you conduct a real session, and a qualified observer reviews it and gives written or verbal feedback on each competency.
Without this, you are learning without a clear understanding of what already meets the required level and what needs further development.
ICF sets the following minimum requirements for observed sessions in which you act as the coach:
Look for these sessions in the schedule. They are separate activities, distinct from mentor coaching and other parts of the program. If they are absent or the feedback requirements are not followed, the program is in breach of the standards.
COACHING.UP University’s Level 2 program includes six observed sessions: five with written feedback and one with a live verbal review.
Criterion 10. Feedback Must Come from a Coach with a Current International Credential
Employing internationally credentialed coaches as observers costs a training provider money. Some schools cut costs by having graduates from earlier cohorts, who have no verified credential, give session feedback to new students. This directly breaches the ICF standard.
You may be thinking, “An experienced graduate can still give useful feedback.” They can, but without the depth you need. Someone who has not undergone an independent competency assessment cannot reliably determine whether your work meets the international standard. They have not experienced that assessment themselves. Their internal training “certification” does not verify their competencies or the number of coaching experience hours they have completed.
Ask for the observers’ names and check each person in the public ICF coach directory. Credentials are renewed every three years, so make sure they are current. ICF requires observers in accredited programs to hold at least an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential.
At COACHING.UP University, all observers hold current ICF ACC or PCC credentials. Their names are published on the program website.
Mentor Coaching: Six Requirements to Check in a Coach Training Program
In my view, this is where some of the coach training market’s biggest problems lie. Mentor coaching is the most expensive part of any accredited program. Qualified mentors charge professional fees, and their work cannot be replaced by group reviews led by trainers and graduates. Practice in pairs or groups of three with an observer cannot simply be presented as mentor coaching either.
Criterion 11. At Least 10 Hours of Mentor Coaching Are Required for Both Level 1 and Level 2 Programs
ICF requires every accredited Level 1 and Level 2 program to provide a minimum of 10 hours of mentor coaching. This is an exact minimum, rather than an approximate figure.
Clarify two things with the school: how many mentor coaching hours are included, and how those hours are counted. For example, do they include watching other people’s sessions in preparation for group mentor coaching, or only live work with a mentor? The distinction matters. Only live work between the mentor and the group, or between the mentor and you individually, counts toward the mentor coaching hours.
If there are fewer than 10 hours, you cannot use the streamlined credential application route after this training. This is one of the first requirements the professional body checks.
COACHING.UP University’s Level 2 program includes 13 hours of mentor coaching, exceeding the minimum requirement.
Criterion 12. At Least Three Months Must Pass Between the First and Last Mentor Coaching Sessions
Imagine completing all 10 hours of mentor coaching in three weeks. The hours may have been logged, but the process has become a formality and has not provided the mentor coaching you need.
ICF emphasizes that the full period must span at least three months. Mentor coaching works through a cycle: the mentor gives feedback, you practice with real clients, and you return with new experience that allows the work to deepen. Compressing this cycle into three weeks gives you hours without the necessary development.
Check the schedule and locate the first and last mentor coaching sessions. They must be at least three months apart.
At COACHING.UP University, more than three months separate the first and last mentor coaching sessions. This is built into the program’s learning process.
Criterion 13. All Mentor Coaching Must Take Place Live, Through Verbal Interaction
“Record a session, and we’ll send you written comments.” I have heard this from graduates of several schools. Each time, it represented a breach of the standard.
Written comments by email do not constitute mentor coaching. The process has specific standards: it must involve verbal interaction in real time. In a conversation with your mentor, you can ask questions, clarify a point, and follow up immediately. A written response does not provide that opportunity.
Ask the school whether there are live Zoom meetings with the mentor or only written comments.
At COACHING.UP University, all individual and group mentor coaching sessions take place live on Zoom. Written feedback supplements these sessions.
Criterion 14. At Least Three of the 10 Hours Must Be Individual, One-to-One Mentor Coaching
In group mentor coaching, much of your learning comes from observing reviews of other people’s sessions. This is valuable. Individual mentor coaching focuses specifically on your sessions, your style, and your areas for development.
In an accredited program, at least three of the 10 mentor coaching hours must take place individually, with just you and the mentor.
Ask the school exactly how many of the advertised mentor coaching hours are individual sessions.
At COACHING.UP University, three of the 13 mentor coaching hours are individual, and 10 are delivered in a group.
Criterion 15. Group Mentor Coaching Must Have No More Than 10 Participants
I have seen programs where group mentor coaching involved 20 to 30 participants. A mentor cannot give everyone enough attention in a group that large, and the quality of the review suffers. The limit is a program standard designed to ensure the quality of the mentor coaching process, regardless of the mentor’s credentials.
Mentor coaching is a distinct professional role. These specialists complete specific training in mentoring competencies, and ICF will soon introduce credentialing for them as well. A coaching credential alone does not mean someone can immediately become a program mentor without specialized education.
If a mentor coaching group exceeds 10 participants, this breach calls the value of the program’s mentor coaching into question.
Simply ask: how many people are in each mentor coaching group?
At COACHING.UP University, mentor coaching groups are strictly limited to 10 participants.
Criterion 16. The Mentor Must Hold a Current International Credential
Your mentor’s professional standing matters just as much as your trainer’s. A mentor helps shape your understanding of what coaching at an international standard looks like. If their competencies have not been independently assessed at the required level, their understanding may be incomplete. That incomplete understanding then becomes the foundation of your professional development.
ICF sets different requirements according to the program level:
For Level 1 programs, a mentor must hold at least a current, renewed ICF ACC credential, meaning they have been in the profession for at least three years.
Ask for the mentors’ names and check each one in the ICF directory. Credentials are renewed every three years.
At COACHING.UP University, all mentors hold current ICF PCC credentials. Their names and credentials are published on the website.
Who Teaches You, and How to Check Each Trainer’s Credentials in Five Minutes
Criterion 17. Check Whether the Program Has a Training Team or Just One or Two Instructors
A coach brings their whole self to their work. If you see only one or two trainers throughout the program, you unconsciously adopt their particular way of coaching. Their style may be effective, but your exposure remains limited. You may then need more time to discover your own coaching style.
We reached this conclusion through student feedback. Our approach is that a strong program is built around a team. Each trainer, mentor, and observer contributes a different perspective on the competencies. Different professionals can demonstrate the same competency in different ways, broadening students’ understanding and helping them find their own professional voice.
Ask for the full team list, including names and credentials, and check each person in the ICF directory.
COACHING.UP University’s program currently involves more than 24 specialists. They include Jean-François Cousin, MCC, a former ICF Global President. The full team is listed on the program page.
Criterion 18. Trainers Teaching Coaching Content Hold International Coaching Credentials
A common situation in the market is that a well-known coach with a senior credential teaches the first module, while the remaining modules are delivered by coaches without verified international credentials or whose credentials fall below the level required for the program.
Under ICF accreditation requirements, all trainers teaching content based on coaching competencies and standards must hold a current ICF credential at ACC level or above. This applies to both program levels.
Obtain the complete list of trainers and their credentials, then verify each person in the ICF directory.
At COACHING.UP University, all trainers in the accredited program hold current ICF PCC or MCC credentials. Their names are publicly available.
The Final Performance Evaluation: The Only Objective Way to Know Whether Your Coaching Meets International Standards and You Are Ready for Credentialing
Let me describe the final “evaluation” in one of the programs I attended early in my coaching career.
We were brought into a room for certification at the end of the training. Each person took a turn talking about coaching. We were asked questions about the course material and gave our answers. The trainers listened, corrected a few responses, and handed out certificates.
At the time, I had no idea this was a serious breach. I assumed that was how the process worked. This is why it matters to understand what a proper performance evaluation should look like before you enroll in a coach training program.
Criterion 19. The Performance Evaluation Is an Independent Assessment of Your Recorded Coaching Session, Lasting at Least 20 Minutes
A proper coaching performance evaluation assesses an actual session you conduct. The session is recorded, submitted to an independent assessor, and evaluated against each competency. A discussion about coaching or a test of theoretical knowledge does not fulfill this purpose. The session must last at least 20 minutes. This is an ICF requirement.
The assessment level depends on the program:
This represents a fundamental difference in what you demonstrate by the end of the program.
Ask the school how the final evaluation is conducted, who carries it out, and which criteria they use. A vague answer is a warning sign.
At COACHING.UP University, the final performance evaluation is a mandatory part of Level 2. Your session is assessed against PCC-level coaching competencies.
Criterion 20. The Evaluation Is Conducted by a Certified PCC Marker Assessor
Holding a PCC credential alone does not qualify a coach to assess sessions. This distinction may be unfamiliar, but it matters. ICF provides specific assessor education through PCC Marker Assessor Training, which teaches assessors to evaluate coaching against standardized criteria.
Without this training, the evaluation is subjective. However conscientious the evaluator may be, a subjective assessment cannot provide objective confirmation of your professional level.
Ask the school who conducts the evaluation and whether that person has completed ICF PCC Marker Assessor Training.
At COACHING.UP University, evaluations are conducted by certified PCC Marker Assessors. Assessors do not teach in the program; they hold a separate role within the team.
Criterion 21. Every Student Receives Written Feedback Covering Each Competency
“Pass” or “fail” gives you a result. Meaningful feedback explains how that result was reached.
After the evaluation, you should receive a written report analyzing how you demonstrated each of the eight competencies. This document shows what already meets the international standard and what needs further development. Without it, the evaluation loses much of its value, especially if you need another attempt.
Ask the school exactly what students receive after the evaluation. Is there a written report covering each competency?
At COACHING.UP University, every student receives several pages of written feedback, with an analysis of each competency.
Criterion 22. The Assessor Is Neither the Student’s Trainer nor Their Mentor
A trainer who has worked with you for seven months cannot assess your session objectively. They are genuinely invested in your success and want you to pass. This affects their judgment unconsciously but inevitably. Separating the roles is extremely difficult.
ICF therefore explicitly prohibits this arrangement. As a co-founder of COACHING.UP University, I do not assess students’ sessions myself. Avoiding this conflict of interest is a matter of principle.
Ask the school who will act as the assessor. Will that person work with your group during the program?
At COACHING.UP University, assessors and trainers are different people. Sessions are also anonymized, so the assessor does not know whose work they are evaluating. Under assessment standards, both the graduate’s and the assessor’s identities remain confidential to the other party. This is why your trainer or mentor cannot evaluate your session, even if they have completed ICF PCC Marker Assessor Training.
Criterion 23. Some Students Need a Second Attempt, Which Reflects the Quality of the Assessment
If a school says, “100% of our students pass the evaluation” or “the final certification,” pause. Treat this as a warning sign.
A meaningful standard always results in some students needing to retake the assessment. That is evidence that the required level is being upheld. If everyone passes, there is no meaningful threshold. Your certificate then tells neither you nor your future clients anything about the actual level of your coaching.
Ask the school directly what percentage of students pass on their first attempt.
At COACHING.UP University, around 70% of students pass the evaluation on their first attempt. The rest have the opportunity to retake it. For us, this shows that the standard is applied in practice.
Graduation Is the Beginning: Two Criteria That Shape Your Entry into the Profession
Criterion 24. The School Supports You Through the International Coaching Credentialing Process
Most schools finish their work when they issue the certificate. After that, you are expected to understand the professional body’s requirements, gather the documents, and submit your application on your own.
You may be thinking, “I’ll figure it out after graduation.” This can be one of the most expensive approaches to coach education. If the program lacked the appropriate accreditation level or failed to provide the required competency training hours, observed sessions, or mentor coaching, receiving a certificate will not resolve those gaps. You will have to train again. That is what happened to me.
Ask what happens after you receive your certificate or diploma. Does the school help graduates submit applications for international credentials through ICF, EMCC, or AC?
At COACHING.UP University, support with international credentialing is part of our commitment to every graduate.
Criterion 25. The School Helps You Build Coaching Hours and Start Working with Clients During Training
By the time you finish the program, you should already have accumulated coaching experience hours, which are required for an international credential application. A school that provides no structure for gaining practical experience leaves you to handle this task alone at a crucial point. With persistence, you can do it, but it will take additional time.
At COACHING.UP University, we therefore train students directly through a Level 2 program. It provides the education pathway to both Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC), without additional training. The final performance evaluation is conducted at PCC level, reflecting a substantially deeper level of client work that you develop during the program.
Although Level 1 and Level 2 have comparable structural requirements, they lead to significantly different outcomes in graduates’ competencies and their next steps in the profession.
We make coaching accessible, so COACHING.UP University’s Level 2 program usually costs less than Level 1 training at other schools. Alongside the cost advantage, you receive a diploma from a program accredited by all three organizations: ICF, EMCC, and AC. Only six programs worldwide hold this triple accreditation.
Practice is built into the program from the first month. On our Talzi platform, students begin conducting their first sessions from the third month of training. After graduation, they receive access to the platform to work with real clients.
If you would prefer to complete the program one-to-one with a trainer at times that suit you, an individual training package is available.
Three Beliefs That Can Lead to a Costly Training Decision
“All Accredited Programs Are the Same”: Why This Belief Can Cost You the Most
You may be thinking, “If the program is accredited, everything must be fine.” That is exactly what I thought when I enrolled in an accredited program and paid $5,000. Thousands of people make the same assumption before they begin their training.
Accreditation confirms compliance with the standards at the time of application. The training actually delivered may follow a different curriculum. The program may have changed since accreditation, or its content may differ from what was submitted. Activities may fail to follow the requirements, and team members may lack the necessary credentials. None of this is visible from the outside. It only becomes clear through a detailed review.
“An Expensive Program Must Be a Quality Program”
You may assume that a high price guarantees quality. In the coach training market, price can be shaped by the number of cohorts and students, how often a program runs, staffing costs, marketing expenses, brand recognition, and the sales model.
Quality is determined by the criteria you have just read. Price and quality are separate measures. Confusing the two cost me $5,000 and six months of my life 10 years ago.
“I’ll Figure Out International Credentialing After Training”
This can be one of the most expensive approaches. If the program lacked the right accreditation level, provided insufficient mentor coaching, or used trainers without the required credentials, receiving a certificate cannot fix those shortcomings. You have to start again.
The longer you delay checking a program, the greater the chance of discovering these problems too late. Reviewing a program against 25 criteria before paying takes a few hours. Repeating your training takes months and further investment.
The Coaching Profession: From Your First Steps to Your First Clients
If you are considering coaching as your main career or an additional profession, this masterclass will help you understand what the work involves and whether it is right for you.
