Thousands of Ways to Earn 40 ICF CCEs!
August 28, 2025Hi and welcome. My name is Anne Kelly. I am the “Credentialing Confusion Buster” here to help ICF coaches keep track of some important and substantial updates that have happened in the last 12 months. So I’m going to go quickly through those, I have a great two-page handout that has all of the links that you’ll need. Let’s get started.
I want to point out the format here that I this. This is not an ICF document. This is just for me, but the format I was going for was to offer you a PDF of different resources as well as a website. So you’ll see there on the left side, the ICF Code of Ethics. You have a PDF to that, and also Ethics Resources.
On the right side, I have the same PDF, one available, and then a link to the website. So you’ll see that throughout this short document. I’m going to focus here on the Ethical Insights and Considerations. This is a fabulous document that goes way into the weeds of what’s expected of ICF professionals. So a particular standard may say, for instance, “Don’t spam other coaches.” That’s in the Ethical Standards. You can expect the insights and consideration to go into detail.
What does that mean? What is considered spam? Am I spamming? Is this? So the Insights and Considerations takes one or two sentences and oftentimes turns it into a page or more of guidance, which is much appreciated when we’re seeking ethical clarity.
I wanted to point out, again on the right side, I attended four or five ethical gatherings, communities of practice, water coolers evaluator educator sessions, just to better understand this. And something, I heard one of the volunteers who worked on updating the new code say, “I’m going to pass on to you.” They said, “Pay particular attention to two of the Standards. 2.5 has to do with confidentiality and technology, and pay attention to 3.7, which has to do with how do we manage the multiple roles and expertise that we may have when we show up as a coach.” Those were the two most important items, and I agree with that wholeheartedly. So check those out.
And then back on the left side, I do have information and links there to the Ethics Water Cooler that you can attend is offered in English and German every month. There’s also an ethics community of practice. So lots to learn there. The ICF Core Competencies were updated in 2025 it seems like everything was updated in 2025 so the ICF Core Competencies were updated. There’s a link to a PDF. There’s a link to the web page. Also, I’d encourage you visit this link here on the right side, labeled side-by-side. I love these. It shows you the old and the new, so you can see nothing changed, a word changed sometimes. Look at Embodies a Coaching Mindset. The second competency, lots of changes. So you can see that in the side by side, also in this same link, under side-by-side comparison is a direct link to a fabulous YouTube series that the ICF is done on the brand new, updated 2025 Core Competencies. So if you like visual, if you like YouTube, jump on that series, and also the link called develop the latest competency model talks about who came up with this. Who were the volunteers? How do they work together to update our core competencies that define our profession.
Next, minimum skills requirements. I included this because I’m a nerd for coaching competencies. These are important, and I am highlighting that by what I have in the left column, the minimum – this is from the ICF website, quoting from the ICF website, the minimum skills requirements highlight the essential skills and behaviors that assessors listen for in performance evaluation recordings. I may submit a recording someday. I would love to know the essential skills and behaviors that an assessor is listening for. This is where you’ll find them, the minimum skills requirements. It also lists common pitfalls. So maybe you read through those and go, “Oops,” or, “Fortunately, I don’t see myself there,” but good information, and it does break them down to ACC, PCC, MCC.
And I’ll leave you with an update that goes back about 12 months. This has been quite a period for two updates. There’s now a streamlined application for entering those 40 hours of continuing education that we all need every three years, and also information on lapsed credentials. This comes from the updated credential guide that came out at the end of 2024 so if you would like information on that lapse credential that goes into effect November 3, 2025. So read through that. It’s going to make it much easier for folks who do have a lapsed credential to apply to renew, to apply for a credential again, without having to earn so many hours to make up for that lapse.
And oh, and here’s the final the ICF credential renewal guide. Two things in there, if extenuating circumstances came into your life, and recently, in the last couple of years, you may ask the ICF for an extension in maintaining your credential. The guidance is in that guide, and also, if you are upgrading to the next credential, you’re an ACC, and you’re thinking, I’m going to go from apply for the PCC, or your PCC, you’re going to apply for an MCC. You can also ask for extra time to go through that application process and not worry about, “Is my ACC going to expire before I get my PCC?” That’s what that extension with Credential upgrade is designed for. So if life got crazy and you in, you need more time extenuating circumstances, check that out if you think you may apply for a higher credential but time is an issue, read about credential upgrades.
These are just some of the updates. I’m just trying to keep them managed. This started off as a document for me, and I had so many requests, I’m sharing it with those I work with, so I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to share with others.
And if you’d like to schedule a chat with me, I’m happy to speak with you about ICF credentialing, see if we can make that a little more understandable and an easier process for you to complete. I can tell you about my Drop-in Group Mentoring and answer any questions you have about ICF credentialing. Thank you so much, and I hope to see you in a group soon.
