Coaching has become an In-demand profession and demand for coaches has grown manifold, especially in the last decade. Coaches can be hired to coach individuals, entrepreneurs as well as employees of an organization. Most individuals, as well as organizations, prefer to hire coaches who are certified and accredited.
International Coaching Federation is a leading global organization that provides independent accreditation to coaches. Individuals who aspire to become professional coaches or practicing coaches who wish to gain a coaching accreditation are the ideal candidates for ICF’s Accredited Coach Training Program or ACTP.
ACTP or ICF Accredited Coach Training Program is an “all-inclusive” training program that provides “start to finish” coach training. To get ICF credentials through ACTP or ICF Accredited Coach Training Program, trainees should complete 125 hours of coach training under the supervision of a mentor, complete course assignments, and also undergo a performance evaluation at the end of the program.
What is ICF accredited coach training program or ACTP?
ICF-approved accredited coach training program, also known as ACTP is one of the pathways followed by ICF-approved coaching providing institutes that conduct accredited coaching programs.
ACTP or Accredited coach training program is a globally recognized ICF certified coach training program. It is an “all-inclusive” coach training program which is also the fastest pathway for acquiring ICF credentials for coaching. ACTP is the most cost-effective pathway to gain eligibility for ICF credentials.
The course structure of the Accredited Coach Training Program
The accredited coach training program includes one-on-one designated mentored sessions, self-study hours, peer sessions, sessions with clients, course assignments, and term-end performance evaluations.
An accredited coach training program is two-level 125 hours coach training program where the trainees need to pass the level-end evaluative examinations to be eligible for applying for ICF credentials. With the ACTP program, trainees can apply for Associate Certified Coach credentials (ACC) after completing 100 hours of coaching. With time and experience, when the coaches complete 500 hours of live coaching, they can apply for ICF Professional Certified Coach credentials (PCC).
Details of ICF accredited coach training program
ACTP or accredited coach training program is a “start to finish” coaching program of 125 hours of training consisting of individual mentoring sessions, peer hours, and course assignments. Participants of the ACTP course can apply for ICF Associated Certified Credentials only after completing 125 hours of the accredited coach training program.
If students want to apply for ICF Associated Certified Coach credentials after 60 hours of coach training and 100 hours of live coaching experience, then they should choose to complete their coach training through the ACSTH pathway of ICF coach training.
How to become an ICF accredited coach through an accredited coach training program?
On completion of the ICF accredited coach training program and prerequisite coaching hours, program students become eligible to apply for different levels of ICF credentials either Associated Certified Coach or Professional Certified Coach. Students must complete the following criteria for becoming ICF accredited coaches via the Accredited Coach Training Program:
1. Completion of the Accredited Coach Training Program – Students need to complete 125 hours of the ICF accredited coach training program (ACTP) for applying for ICF ACC credentials via the ACTP pathway. The ACTP pathway of coach training is consists of 125 hours of coach training. Students to be eligible for applying for ICF credentials through ACTP must complete a total of 125 hours (Level 1+Level 2) as it’s a “start to finish” course. Alternately, students who have time constraints can opt for the ACSTH pathway of getting ICF ACC credentials with 60 hours of training.
2. Complete hours of mentor coaching: In the ICF accredited coach training program, students must attend 10 hours of mentor coaching. In ACTP, students have a minimum of three hours of one-to-one mentoring sessions along with monitored client sessions for real-time coaching experiences. Participants along with mentor coaching must complete their course assignments, self-study hours, and clear course-end performance evaluative examinations.
3. Must fulfill prerequisite coaching hours: To be eligible for becoming an ICF accredited coach by applying for ICF credentials through the ICF accredited coach training program, applicants must achieve the required number of coaching hours. The mandated coaching hours vary based on the level of applied credentials opted by the students. For example, for ACC credentials, students must complete 100 hours of coaching experience, and for PCC credentials students must complete 500 hours of coaching.
For becoming eligible of applying for ICF credentials through the ICF accredited coach training program students must complete the Coach Knowledge Assessment.
The ICF ACTP or Accredited Coach Training Program is one of the most popular pathways highly sorted after by the students for achieving ICF-approved accreditation. However, the ACSTH pathway is recommended for students with time-constraint as it is not a “start to finish” course