How Long Does It Take to Get a Coaching Certification?

Updated November 2026

Most coaching certification programs take a few months to a year of part-time training. iPEC®’s ICF Level 2 accredited Coach Training Program takes 7–9 months, part-time, with three live 3-day modules. An ICF credential takes longer because you also log coaching hours with clients.

How Long Each Step Takes

Step	What ICF requires	How long it takes	With iPEC®
Training	At least 60 hours for the ACC, 125 for the PCC	Varies by school	160 hours over 7–9 months, part-time
Mentor coaching	10 hours over at least 3 months	Usually done during training	10 hours, included in tuition
Coaching experience	ACC: 100 hours (75 paid). PCC: 500 hours (450 paid)	Depends on how many clients you see	24 hours of peer client coaching included, which count toward ICF as pro bono hours
Application and exam	Performance evaluation and exam	ICF review takes about 4 weeks on the Level 1/Level 2 or Level 2 Path	Apply through the Level 2 Path and your iPEC® certification serves as proof, so you don’t take the performance evaluation with ICF. You still take the exam.

ICF requirements as listed on ICF’s site in November 2026. See the ACC and PCC pages for current details. Not sure which level you need? See how ICF Level 1 and Level 2 compare.

What Adds the Most Time?

Coaching hours. At 5 client hours a week, 100 hours takes about 5 months and 500 hours takes about 2 years. You can start logging hours while you train.

What 7–9 Months Looks Like at iPEC®

iPEC®’s Coach Training Program is built around three live 3-day modules, about 3 months apart, in person or virtual, on weekend or midweek schedules.

Between modules, you’ll have about 5 hours of coursework a week, along with weekly skill-building webinars, peer coaching and one-on-one mentor coaching.

You finish with two certifications: the Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and the Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP). iPEC® produces the most powerful coaches in the world, with 27+ years of coach training, 25,000+ graduates, and one of the first programs accredited by the ICF.

Start Smaller or Go Further

Start smaller. Coaching Fundamentals is 3 days, with 30 ICF-accredited hours and a certificate of completion that builds into the CPC.
Go further. COR.E® Dynamics is optional and self-paced, takes 1–4 months after your CPC, and earns a specialist credential named for your track.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get an ICF credential?

It depends on how quickly you log coaching hours. The ACC requires 100 hours and the PCC requires 500. At 5 client hours a week, that’s about 5 months for the ACC and about 2 years for the PCC.

Can I work full-time while I train?

Yes, you can work full-time while you train. Most coaches do. iPEC®’s program is part-time, with about 5 hours of coursework a week between live modules.

What’s the fastest way to get certified?

Choose an accredited program with a set schedule and start coaching while you train. If you apply through the Level 2 Path after iPEC®’s program, your certification also serves as proof for the performance evaluation, so there’s one less step with ICF.