The most significant change to ICF mentor coaching in the history of its credentialing — and what it means for coaches and mentor coaches.
The new ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS), introduced by the International Coaching Federation, is the biggest change to mentor coaching and credentialing the coaching profession has seen. This new mentor coach specialization moves mentor coaching from a loosely defined support role into a formally qualified, evidence-based function inside the credentialing pathway. If you are working towards an ACC, PCC, or MCC — or you mentor coaches yourself — the change reaches you directly. This is a plain-language guide to what it is, what is changing, and what it costs.
A note on naming: ICF first introduced this as the Mentor Coaching Qualification (MCQ), then renamed it the Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS). It is a change of name only — the requirements, pathways, and dates are unchanged. Older ICF materials may still say MCQ.
The MCS is a specialist designation for mentor coaches. Co-created with experienced mentor coaches and grounded in the 2024 ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies, it sets what ICF describes as a globally recognized benchmark for mentor coaching preparation and practice.
It is issued at three levels — ACC, PCC, and MCC — matched to the credential level of the coach being mentored. A mentor coach may hold one level, two, or all three. In short, it does three things:
Mentor coaching has always been part of the ICF credentialing process. Every coach applying for an ICF credential — ACC, PCC, or MCC — must complete a minimum period of mentor coaching before they qualify as a credentialed coach. From 2027, ICF credential candidates must work with a mentor coach who has earned the MCS at their level. The candidates who rely on mentor coaching, and the coaches seeking mentor coaching to grow their skill, now share one consistent global standard.
For years, expectations for mentor coaching were never clearly defined, which produced uneven quality across the profession. ICF spent two years researching the essential elements of effective mentor coaching, published its Mentor Coaching Competencies in 2024, and built the MCS on that foundation.
The demand came from mentor coaches themselves. In ICF's 2025 Mentor Coaching Practitioner Survey, they named the lack of consistent standards as one of their biggest challenges, and close to 60% said completion of mentor coaching education should be required to serve as a mentor coach.
The MCS is built on the ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies, published in 2024 after two years of research. These Mentor Coaching Competencies define what effective mentor coaching looks like in practice: observing a coaching session, conducting formative appraisal of coaching skill, delivering clear feedback, facilitating a coach's skill development, and running group mentor coaching.
All mentor coach education under the MCS must be aligned with the ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies. That focus on structured coach development is what separates trained mentor coaching from a coach simply offering advice — whether the coach being mentored holds an ICF ACC, PCC, or MCC.
A mentor coach observes another coach in a live or recorded coaching session and evaluates their coaching skill against ICF standards. The core duties are consistent across every credential level:
There are two competency frameworks in play, and holding them apart matters. The mentor coach's own capability is defined by the ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies; the coach they mentor is measured against the ICF Core Competencies. Every mentor coach who earns the MCS also agrees to uphold the ICF Code of Ethics, keeping their feedback fair and aligned with the relevant ICF standards. The MCS confirms a mentor coach is trained to work fluently with both.
The two are often confused, but they do different work. Mentor coaching develops a coach's skill against the ICF Core Competencies, usually tied to earning or renewing an ICF credential — it is skill-focused and competency-referenced. Coach supervision is broader and reflective: it looks at the coach's whole practice, including client cases, ethics, and the coach's own wellbeing, without measuring against credential criteria.
The MCS applies to mentor coaching, not supervision. One useful link between them: supervision hours dedicated to your mentor coaching practice can count towards MCS renewal.
The MCS implementation timeline turns on two dates:
All mentor coaching that counts towards an ICF credential must be delivered by a mentor coach who holds the MCS at the matching credential level.
The separate Performance Evaluation for ACC and PCC portfolio applications is removed and replaced by an enhanced mentor coaching requirement.
There is currently no grandfathering. Existing mentor coaches must apply for the MCS to keep serving credential candidates beyond 2026.
From 1 April 2027, ACC and PCC portfolio applicants will no longer sit a separate Performance Evaluation. In its place comes an enhanced mentor coaching requirement — more structured and more rigorous, delivered only by MCS-qualified mentor coaches.
The idea is that coaching competence is validated through evidence-based evaluation across the mentor coaching process itself — practice, feedback, and reflection over time — rather than a single recorded assessment judged once.
This also reshapes the ICF assessor role. With the Performance Evaluation requirement for ACC and PCC removed, the ICF assessor role for those levels is being retired, and many experienced assessors are well placed to move into mentor coaching.
To earn the MCS you need three things: an eligible ICF credential, mentor coach education aligned with the ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies, and ICF evaluation training for each level you want to hold. How much education you need depends on your route — a shorter path for experienced mentor coaches, a fuller one for those newer to the work.
The sections below set out the coaching requirements, the training, the evaluation courses, and the two application pathways in turn.
The training requirements depend on your pathway. The Standard Path calls for 41 or more hours of mentor coach training aligned with the Mentor Coaching Competencies, at least half of it delivered live. The Credit for Prior Learning path calls for 10 or more hours of coaching education.
This is mentor coach training specifically — distinct from the coach training that earned your own ACC, PCC, or MCC. If you are new to mentor coaching, the fuller path builds your hours from scratch. MCS-aligned education is offered by an ICF accredited coaching education provider, and ICF's website lists approved courses. Both paths also require ICF evaluation training for each level you wish to hold.
ICF evaluation training teaches you to assess coaching against credential-level criteria. There are three courses, one per level — ACC BARS, PCC Markers, and MCC BARS (Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales). You complete the training for each level you want to be qualified to mentor.
On the Standard Path this counts towards your education hours. On the Credit for Prior Learning path this evaluation training does not count towards the 10 hours of mentor coaching education, and is completed in addition.
There are two ways to qualify, depending on your coaching experience. One application can cover several levels, but the evaluation training is required separately for each level.
| Standard Path | Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) | |
|---|---|---|
| For Whom | Newer mentor coaches building qualification through education | Experienced mentor coaches with an existing track record |
| Credential Prerequisite | Active PCC or MCC (the ACC level also accepts a Renewed ACC) | Active PCC or MCC, or a Renewed ACC |
| Education Required | 41+ hours aligned with the Mentor Coaching Competencies, at least 50% delivered live | 10+ hours aligned with the Mentor Coaching Competencies (live or self-paced) |
| Evaluation Training | ACC BARS / PCC Markers / MCC BARS for each level sought — counts as asynchronous hours | ACC BARS / PCC Markers / MCC BARS for each level sought — does not count towards the 10 hours |
| Experience Evidence | Not required through this path | Evidence of prior mentor coaching — you must have provided mentor coaching to at least five mentor coaching clients who earned a credential in the past three years |
If you are a new mentor coach without a prior track record, you become a mentor coach through the Standard Path — the Credit for Prior Learning route needs evidence of five mentor coaching clients who earned a credential in the past three years, which a new mentor will not yet have.
In practice, a new mentor coach completes the 41 hours of education, takes the evaluation training for their level, and then applies. Experienced mentor coaches use the shorter prior-learning route instead. When applying for the ICF MCS through that route, you may also need documentation — for example, a letter from an ICF accredited coaching education provider confirming your hours.
Individuals earn the MCS. Separately, the International Coaching Federation offers the Advanced Accreditation in Mentor Coaching — a programme-level accreditation for organisations that deliver mentor coach education. Where the MCS recognises a person, the ICF Advanced Accreditation in Mentor Coaching recognises a provider whose programme is built to meet ICF standards.
The distinction is worth keeping clear when you choose where to study: you want your education to come from an ICF accredited coaching education provider, so that the hours you complete count towards your own MCS.
Yes. The standard ICF credential requirement is 10 hours of mentor coaching over a minimum of three months. At least three of those mentor coaching hours must be delivered one to one; the remaining coaching hours can come through group mentor coaching.
From 2027, candidates must complete any new mentor coaching hours with a mentor coach who has earned the MCS at the matching level. Candidates who still need to complete the mentor coaching requirement with a mentor coach must now choose one who holds the specialization. Group mentor coaching is written into MCS training too, since so much mentor coaching happens in small groups rather than one to one.
For most coaches, the MCS changes little in day-to-day coaching practice — it simply means the mentor coach you work with towards a credential must hold the specialization at your level.
For those who run a mentor coaching practice, the shift is larger. It calls for sharper observation and clear, written, competency-based feedback that meets the new standard — a real step up in how mentor coaching practice is delivered.
Introductory pricing applies through March 2027, after which standard pricing begins. Both the Standard and CPL paths share the same application fees.
| Fee | Introductory (Through March 2027) | Standard (From April 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Application — ICF Member | $50 USD | $125 USD |
| Application — Non-Member | $125 USD | $200 USD |
| Renewal — ICF Member | $100 USD | $100 USD |
| Renewal — Non-Member | $200 USD | $200 USD |
The MCS is valid for three years. To renew, a mentor coach keeps an active ICF credential and completes 10 hours of continuing education aligned with the Mentor Coaching Competencies within the three-year period. Coaching supervision hours dedicated to mentor coaching practice may count towards this.
A mentor coach who holds the MCS at several levels renews all levels together through a single renewal.
On earning or renewing the MCS, a mentor coach receives a digital badge and a listing on the new ICF Mentor Coach Registry at the appropriate level, so credential candidates can confirm that a mentor coach is properly qualified. Listing is optional — a mentor coach may choose to opt out. This registry is the reliable way to find a qualified ICF mentor coach at your level.
Rajiv Sharma is an ICF PCC coach who supports professionals working towards ACC, PCC, and MCC credentials. If you would like to talk through your pathway, start a conversation.
Message Us On WhatsAppRequirements, fees, and dates were still being finalised through 2026. Always confirm the current details on the official ICF website before applying.