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OLC PCC EXAMINATION PREPARATION COURSE

Organizational Leadership Coaching®, LLC

10-Hour PCC Exam Prep | $450 | Delivered Live Online (4 Weeks)

 

COURSE OVERVIEW

 

The PCC Examination Preparation Course is designed to equip qualified coaches who are preparing to sit for the ICF PCC Credentialing Exam, a rigorous scenario-based assessment used for both PCC and MCC applicants.

 

The PCC exam differs fundamentally from the ACC exam in both depth and complexity:

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• ACC exam = knowledge-based multiple-choice test

• PCC exam = applied scenario-based judgment test (best/worst answer format)

 

The PCC exam requires coaches to demonstrate not only familiarity with the ICF Core

 

Competencies and ICF Code of Ethics, but the ability to apply them in nuanced, real-world coaching situations.

 

This course provides extensive training in the judgment, decision-making, and competency-based reasoning needed to pass the PCC exam confidently.

 

PCC CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

 

(What must be completed before you can sit for the exam)

 

Candidates must meet all of the following requirements:

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1. Coach-Specific Education

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• Completion of 125+ hours of coach-specific training aligned with ICF standards (Level 2 program or equivalent).

 

2. Coaching Experience

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• A minimum of 500 hours of coaching experience after starting coach training.

  • At least 50% must be paid coaching hours.

 

3. Mentor Coaching

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• Completion of 10 hours of mentor coaching over at least three months.

  • Minimum 3 hours individual, remainder group is permitted.

 

4. Performance Evaluation (PE)

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• Submission of one coaching session recording (20–60 minutes) that meets PCC markers and competency mastery.

  • Must score at PCC level by an ICF assessor.

 

5. PCC Credentialing Exam

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• After training + hours + mentor coaching + PE are approved, the candidate takes the exam.

• The PCC exam is the standard situational judgment exam used for both PCC and MCC applicants.

 

ABOUT THE PCC EXAM (2025 FORMAT)

 

History & 2025 Updates

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• In early 2025, ICF updated its credential exam landscape.

• The ACC examination became a separate, knowledge-based multiple-choice exam, whereas the PCC/MCC credential exams retained the situational judgment format.

• This ensures that PCC/MCC coaches demonstrate applied, nuanced decision-making.

 

Exam Format

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• Approximately 78 scenario-based situational judgment questions

• Best answer / Worst answer format

• 180 minutes total (approximately 3 hours)

• Administered by Pearson VUE (testing center or online)

• Scenarios reflect complex coaching situations, including:

  • ethical dilemmas

  • boundary considerations

  • client relationships

  • contracting issues

  • demonstration of specific competencies

  • systemic awareness

  • cultural and contextual factors

  • handling emotions, conflict, resistance, misalignment

 

Content Domains (weighted across competencies)

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• All 8 ICF Core Competencies (2019 model)

• ICF Code of Ethics (2020, v4)

• Applied decision-making in coaching sessions

• Competency integration within real client contexts

 

ACC VS. PCC EXAMINATION — CLEAR DISTINCTIONS

 

1. Format

 

ACC Exam

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• 60 multiple-choice questions

• One correct answer per question

• Knowledge-based, technical mastery

• 90 minutes

 

PCC Exam

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• 78 situational judgment items

• Must choose both:

  • Best answer

  • Worst answer

• Application-based, requiring nuanced reasoning

• 180 minutes

 

2. Type of Knowledge Tested

 

ACC

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• Technicalities of definitions, ethics, and competencies

• Understanding what the competency or ethical rule is

 

PCC

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• Application of competencies in real scenarios

• Understanding how to respond in a coaching situation

• Evaluates sophistication of coaching judgment

• Tests integration, presence, partnering, and client agency

 

3. Depth & Complexity

 

ACC

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• Foundational

• Conceptual understanding

• Focus on memorization + recognition

 

PCC

​

• Advanced

• Embodied coaching mindset

• Requires experience to interpret situational cues

• More complex scenarios, often ambiguous or layered

• Assessing alignment with PCC-level behaviors

 

4. Relationship to PCC Markers

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• ACC exam includes minimal reference to PCC markers.

• PCC exam requires mastery consistent with PCC markers, including:​​

  • client agency

  • reflective questions

  • maintaining presence

  • evoking awareness

  • and systemic responsibility

• co-creation

• partnership

 

The PCC exam is designed to evaluate judgment, not just knowledge.

 

PCC EXAM PREPARATION COURSE

 

10 Hours Total • $450 • Four Sessions + Homework

Session-by-Session Breakdown

 

SESSION 1 — Understanding the PCC Exam & Core Competency Application

 

2 hours

 

Hour 1:

• Overview of PCC credential requirements

• Role of PCC markers in exam logic

• Differences between ACC vs PCC exam expectations

• Understanding situational judgment testing

Hour 2:

• Review of Core Competencies at PCC depth

• How scenarios test “moments of choice”

• Sample PCC-level scenarios with guided reasoning

 

SESSION 2 — Ethics, Boundaries & Complex Coaching Dynamics

 

2 hours

 

Hour 1:

• Applied ethical reasoning

• Navigating complex ethical dilemmas

• What “best answer” means ethically

• Understanding when “worst answer” reflects harmful practice

Hour 2:

• Role of boundaries in scenario-based items

• Contracting, re-contracting, referral situations

• Practice scenarios with facilitated analysis

 

SESSION 3 — Competency Integration & Best/Worst Answer Mastery

 

2 hours

 

Hour 1:

• How exam writers structure scenarios

• Identifying competency misalignment

• Strategies to eliminate distractor answers

 

Hour 2:

• Full scenario walkthrough

• Step-by-step reasoning exercises

• Responding to emotional complexity, cultural issues, and systemic factors

 

SESSION 4 — Full PCC Simulated Mini-Exam + Review

 

2 hours

 

Hour 1:

• Mock situational judgment assessment

• Timed best/worst-answer practice

• Emulating exam pressure

Hour 2:

• Detailed review of selected items

• Why answers are best or worst

• Performance reflection

• Guidance for exam-day success

 

HOMEWORK / PRACTICE (2 hours)

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• 20–30 scenario-based practice questions

• Reflective journal:

  • “How do I make decisions as a PCC-level coach?”

• Mini recording review (listen to a coaching session and identify PCC markers)

 

WHAT THIS COURSE PROVIDES

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• Full exam orientation with clear guidance on format, pacing, and scoring

• Scenario-based practice, with instructor reasoning and guided facilitation

• Tools for analyzing best vs worst answers, especially in ambiguous situations

• Deep competence in Ethics + Competencies, focused on application

• Confidence from completing a simulated test

• Preparedness to pass the PCC exam, having already practiced under realistic conditions

 

This is not an abstract knowledge class.

 

It is a judgment-formation course, sharpening how a PCC-level coach thinks, responds, and evaluates real coaching situations.

 

WHY THE PCC EXAM IS MORE SOPHISTICATED

 

Because it tests:

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• mature coaching judgment

• integration of competencies

• reflective and systemic decision-making

• ethical discernment under pressure

• client partnership, not coach direction

• emotional intelligence and presence

• deeper intuitive reflection

• real-world coaching dynamics

• alignment with the PCC markers

 

It is less about knowing “the right rule” and more about:

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“What would a professionally certified coach do in this moment?”
“How would they think?”
“What best reflects the spirit of coaching?”

​

This course trains that thinking.

 

PRICE AND DELIVERY

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• $450 per student

• Conducted online (Zoom)

• Four 2-hour sessions (8 hours live)

• Plus 2 hours of homework/practice

 

A certificate of completion is provided.

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ADDITIONAL NOTE

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Organizational Leadership Coaching®, LLC also provides:

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• ACC Examination Prep Course (knowledge-based exam)

• PCC Examination Prep Course (scenario-based exam)

 

We accompany coaches from the beginning of their credentialing journey through ACC → PCC → MCC, preparing them to succeed at every level.