If you are working toward your ICF PCC or MCC credential, the written exam changes this week.
Starting November 10, 2026, the International Coaching Federation offers a new PCC-MCC Exam. The current ICF Credentialing Exam stays available until March 31, 2027. Between those dates, you can choose which one to sit. From April 1, 2027, everyone takes the new one.
ICF laid out the details in its Candidate's Guide to the Updated Credentialing Exam. Here is what is changing, what isn't, and how to decide which exam makes sense for you.
What the new exam looks like
According to ICF, the PCC-MCC Exam has:
- 80 questions in total.
- 44 situational judgment questions. You read a coaching scenario and pick both the most effective and the least effective response.
- 36 knowledge-based multiple-choice questions. These test your grasp of coaching concepts, principles, and professional standards more directly.
- 150 minutes to finish.
- One optional 10-minute break halfway through.
The exam runs in four sections that alternate: 18 knowledge questions, 22 scenario questions, the optional break, then 18 knowledge questions and 22 scenario questions again.
ICF says that because knowledge questions are more direct, you will spend less time reading than on the current exam.
What stays the same
A lot, actually.
- Same four domains. Foundation, Co-Creating the Relationship, Communicating Effectively, and Cultivating Learning and Growth.
- Same difficulty and expected pass rate. ICF says these stay consistent with the current exam.
- Same credential. Pass either exam and you earn the same PCC or MCC.
ICF's PCC and MCC candidate guides add a few more details. The new exam is based on the 2025 ICF Core Competencies and 2025 Code of Ethics. It is taken at a Pearson VUE test center or online through Pearson's OnVUE remote proctoring. Scores are still reported on a scale from 110 to 600, with 460 as the passing score.
What this tells you about how to prepare
The mix of questions is a hint about what ICF wants to see.
Situational judgment questions still make up more than half the exam. These reward coaches who can spot what a good coach would do, and what a poor one would do, in a messy real moment. That is less about memorizing and more about practice and reflection.
The knowledge questions are the newer part for PCC and MCC candidates. They are more direct. If you have only ever studied by "feel," this is where you could lose easy points. You'll want to actually know the competencies and the Code of Ethics, not just have a general sense of them.
ICF's own advice is simple: the best preparation for either exam is a strong understanding of the Core Competencies and Code of Ethics, and practice applying them in real coaching situations. ICF also said it would publish a free tutorial on the new format before launch.
Which exam should you take?
There is no single right answer. Here are a few honest ways to think about it.
You may lean toward the current exam if:
- You have already prepared for it and feel ready.
- Your test date falls before March 31, 2027, and you would rather not change your study plan.
- You are comfortable with long scenario questions and don't want new question types.
You may lean toward the new exam if:
- You are just starting to prepare.
- You studied the 2025 Core Competencies and Code of Ethics and want an exam built on them.
- You read slowly or find long scenarios tiring, since ICF expects less reading time.
- You might need a retake. A retake after March 31, 2027 will be on the new exam anyway.
Either way:
- Watch your exam emails. ICF's candidate guides say instructions for choosing your exam will come as part of your exam correspondence.
- Don't switch your plan in a panic the week before. If you are ready for one format, a sudden change often hurts more than it helps.
A simple four-week study plan
This is a general plan, not an official ICF one. Adjust it to your schedule.
Week 1. Re-read the source. Go through the current ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics slowly. For each competency, write one sentence in your own words about what it looks like in a session.
Week 2. Practice the judgment. Take a few real or made-up coaching moments. For each, write what the most effective and least effective coach response would be, and why. Talk them through with a peer or mentor coach if you can.
Week 3. Test the knowledge. Quiz yourself on ethics, agreements, confidentiality, and the meaning of each competency. Short daily sessions work better than one long cram.
Week 4. Rehearse the format. Use ICF's tutorial for the new exam if you choose it. Practice timed sets so 150 minutes doesn't feel long on the day. Plan whether you will take the break. Most people should.
A hypothetical example
Here is a made-up case to make the choice concrete.
A coach has her PCC application approved in December. She hasn't started studying yet and tends to run out of time on long reading tasks. For her, the new exam is likely the better fit. She can build her study plan around the 2025 competencies from day one, and the shorter questions suit how she reads.
A second coach has been studying for the current exam since September and has a test booked for January. He might reasonably stay with the current format and finish what he started.
Both coaches are invented. The point is that the choice depends on where you are, not on which exam is "easier." ICF says the difficulty is the same.
Why this matters beyond the exam
Exams are a small part of being a good coach. But a change like this is a useful nudge. The Core Competencies and Code of Ethics were updated in 2025. If you earned your credential years ago, this is a good moment to read them again, even if you are not testing.
ICF made the same point in a November 4 piece on trust and credibility: as coaching grows, clients look for clear signs of preparation, ethics, and accountability. Knowing the current standards well is part of how you earn trust in the room.
If you are testing soon, pick your exam, set your dates, and start with the source documents. Everything else builds on those.