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In April 2026 there were four major announcements in a single week from the ICF (The International Coach Federation is one of the global professional bodies for coaching). If you are working towards your credential — or thinking about it — this post is a plain-English version of what’s changing, what it means for you, and what you actually need to do next.
I’ll be honest. The rollout hasn’t been clean. The details shifted in the first few days. Some experienced assessors — people who built careers around evaluating coaching recordings — have lost work they relied on. Mentor coaches are being asked to do considerably more, with challenges uplifting what they can charge. Some of the reactions you’ve seen in coaching communities are about that.
My view: the direction is right. A more rigorous, trained, standardised mentor coach is better for candidates. Yet, the fact that the person who supports your development is the same person who signs off on your competency creates a genuine tension. I notice it. It’s worth naming.
That doesn’t change what you need to do.
What makes accreditation important?
Coaches accredit (or don't) for many reasons. As the industry professionalises, however, organisations increasingly require professional accreditation before engaging coaches for their people.
The Biggest Change?
The Performance Evaluation Is Going From 1 April 2027*, the Performance Evaluation will no longer be part of the ACC or PCC application. The Performance Evaluation is an audio recording of one of your coaching sessions with a client that demonstrates your coaching competency.
For years, applying for an ICF credential meant sending your recording for ICF assessors to evaluate it against the Core Competencies at the level for which you were applying. It was the part most coaches dreaded. The preparation was intensive. Listening back to sessions made many coaches squirm. The stakes felt high. And for some coaches, ‘performance anxiety’ introduced barriers that had nothing to do with their actual skill. ICF has acknowledged this. In their own words, it presented “unintended hurdles to credential attainment” — and the profession has grown far beyond the context in which the process was originally designed. What replaces it is not a lighter requirement. It is a different one.
What Replaces It?
Enhanced Mentor Coaching.
Instead of submitting a recorded session, applicants will complete an enhanced mentor coaching requirement. The difference is that your mentor coach will need to hold the new ICF Mentor Coach Specialisation (MCS) — a formal benchmark that didn’t exist before April 2026.
The MCS establishes, for the first time, a globally recognised standard for what a qualified mentor coach actually looks like. It also lays out additional requirements for the coach and the mentor coach, before, during and after the sessions themselves. The credentialing exams continue as before. They are not going away.
What Is Enhanced Mentor Coaching?
Until now, any ACC-renewed, PCC, or MCC could offer mentor coaching without a standardised training requirement. That changes. The change means that all mentor coaches must hold the eligible ICF credential AND the MCS. It requires a mentor coach to have completed specific training, have a successful record of passing accreditation for their mentees, and to actively maintain their CPD.
Enhanced mentor coaching includes documenting reflections before each mentor coaching session, a session observation report from the mentor coach, and post-session reflections. The mentor coach must also complete an overall competency report confirming they have witnessed the coach demonstrate the relevant competencies. Previously, no formal evidence was required.
What Makes a Mentor Coach Eligible?
They must hold the MCS (Mentor Coaching Specialism). This will be required of all Mentor Coaches from 1st January 2027. At the time of writing, it is not open for applications, though it is expected to open soon. They will work with applicants using the appropriate competency measures for the credential level.
UPDATE JULY 2027 - MCS applications are now open and being issued - I now hold MCS for ACC and PCC!
If you are early in your journey, it is worth noting that by the time you apply, you will need a mentor coach with MCS status. If you are nearly ready to apply, the current pathway is still open and valid, and any mentor coaching hours you have already completed are recognised.
What This Means for You Right Now
- If you have everything you need to apply and your inner critic got in the way — let’s talk.
- If you intend to apply by the end of 2026, there is no change. Mentor coaching hours completed before January 2027 still count, and current requirements remain in place. That includes the Performance Evaluation.
- If you intend to apply in 2027, any mentor coaching hours you have completed before 1st January will remain valid. However, any new mentor coaching hours must be completed with a Mentor Coach who holds the MCS.
- If you have existing mentor coaching hours completed but intend to apply after 1st April 2027 (e.g. if you are waiting for your experience hours to hit the required number), then even though your existing mentor coaching hours are valid, you will need at least one session with a Mentor Coach holding an MCS. This is because you will need documentation from Mentor Coaches covering your coaching competence to be submitted with your application (in lieu of the Performance Evaluation).
What Is the Credential Requirement Now?
The core requirements for a first ACC application largely remain the same, but applicants must work with an eligible Mentor Coach: - 60 hours of coach-specific training in line with the ICF Core Competency Framework** - 100 hours of coaching experience (at least 75 paid, with a minimum of 8 clients; from the date you began official training) - 10 hours of mentor coaching with an eligible ICF credentialed mentor coach (at least 3 of which must be 1-1) - A passing score on the ICF credentialing exam For PCC, the requirements scale up: 125 hours of training and 500 coaching hours (450 paid).
**The ICF Core Competency framework — eight competencies across four domains, last updated in 2019 — remains current. And from January 2026, updated Minimum Skills Requirements for ACC and MCC came into effect, providing sharper behavioural anchors for what a passing performance actually looks like.
Applying for your ACC or PCC and not sure where to start, or can’t find your way on the ICF website?
Most coaches who contact me aren’t confused about the requirements.
They know what they need. What stops them is something quieter — not being sure they’re ready or that they’re good enough. Those are different problems. Worth knowing which one you have.
Book a call. It’s complimentary. We can work out where you actually are.
Sheela Hobden
www.bluegreencoaching.com
June 2026
FAQ
What changes for ACC and PCC renewals?
Nothing, except your Mentor Coach must hold the MCS.
Do I still need to submit a recording for my ACC application?
Until 1 April 2027, yes — the Performance Evaluation (recorded coaching session) remains a requirement for Portfolio Path applicants. After that date, it is replaced by the enhanced mentor coaching requirement. If your application is in progress, the current process applies.
What is the ICF Mentor Coach Specialisation (MCS)?
The MCS is a new formal standard for coaches who provide mentor coaching to credentialing candidates. Announced in April 2026 and taking effect from January 2027, it requires mentor coaches to complete structured training before they can mentor and evaluate candidates as part of the new credentialing process. Check your mentor coach is planning to attain this.
Can I start my ACC application now under the current rules?
Yes. Current requirements remain fully in place until April 2027. Mentor coaching hours you complete before January 2027 count under the existing process and will still be accepted.
How much does Mentor Coaching cost?
Costs range vastly. You could pay anything between £900 and £2000, and those costs look set to increase by at least 50%, if not double in 2027.
What is the ICF credentialing exam?
A knowledge-based assessment testing your understanding of the ICF Core Competencies, the ICF Code of Ethics, and coaching principles. It is separate from the Performance Evaluation and is not going away. You can find ICF’s exam guidance on the ICF website.
What changes for PCC applicants?
The same structural shift applies — Performance Evaluation out, enhanced mentor coaching in, from April 2027. PCC Portfolio Path applicants will also need to work with an MCS-qualified mentor coach from January 2027. The MCC process is under separate review and has not changed at this stage.
Can I use the same hours for ACC as I did for PCC?
Yes — if your mentor coach held a PCC or MCC credential at the time, those hours carry across. If they held an ACC renewed, they don’t. You’ll need new mentor coaching with a PCC or MCC for your PCC application. One practical note: if your original mentor coaching was focused on ACC-level competency development, it is worth completing additional hours at PCC level — even if the original hours technically count. Check that with your Mentor Coach.
How long are previously completed mentor coaching hours valid for?
They currently have no expiry date, however if you’re sitting on past mentor coaching hours and wondering whether they’ll still count — contact ICF directly at support@coachingfederation.org. It’s worth thirty seconds of admin to get a definitive answer in writing.
What Happens to Group Mentor Coaching?
Coaches can include up to seven hours of mentor coaching in groups. No paperwork is required from the Mentor Coach, they must hold MCS.
What are the ICF Core Competencies?
Eight competencies across four domains: Foundation (Ethical Practice, Coaching Mindset), Co-Creating the Relationship (Agreements, Trust and Safety, Presence), Communicating Effectively (Active Listening, Evoking Awareness), and Cultivating Learning and Growth (Facilitating Client Growth). Updated in 2019, these are what your coaching is assessed against at every level.
I trained as a coach years ago, and the course was not ICF approved, can I still apply to ICF?
Yes. You can take the Portfolio Route. Check out the ICF website, or this post I summarised it in: Trained Coach, not-ICF Approved Training.
*updates continue to be released from the ICF, so for the most up-to-date information, please refer to their credentialing website.