ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam

Which of the following best describes a key difference between team mentoring and team coaching? 

• Team mentoring is often completed in a single session, while team coaching extends over several years 
• Team mentoring focuses on developing individual team members, while team coaching supports the team as a whole 
• In team mentoring, the mentor is the expert and shares their knowledge with the team. In team coaching, the team is the expert 

Which of the following best describes the parties that should be involved in the development of a team coaching agreement?  

• The team coach and one representative from the sponsor organization 
• The team coach, all team members, the team leader, and the sponsor organization 
• The team coach, the team leader, all current team members, and anyone who has left the team in the last year

A team coach can best help resolve conflict among team members by: 

• Acknowledging the conflict and inviting team members to share how they would like to address it as a team. 
• Addressing the conflict with members of the team individually outside of the team coaching session 
• Sharing ideas with the team about what the coach sees as the main reasons that the team is experiencing conflict

Asking the team questions is a technique used most effectively by a team coach to: 

• To break the tension when the team is discussing a challenging topic 
• Discover potential areas of conflict that the team should avoid 
• Encourage the team to engage in internal dialogue and reflection

How can a team coach most effectively support the team in summarizing learning and insight within a session? 

• Recap the reflections and learning that the team coach heard from team members throughout the session 
• Invite team members to share their reflections and learning with the team at the end of the session 
• Ask each team member to email the team leader with their learnings from the session 

A team coach was hired to work with a company’s senior management team, including the chief executive officer (CEO), the chief financial officer (CFO), the chief operating officer (COO), and the chief human resources officer (CHRO). The team coaching agreement includes five monthly coaching sessions to support the team as they plan an upcoming company reorganization. The team coach has previous experience as the CHRO of a company in the same industry, where the coach also supported a reorganization effort. After the first session, the CEO asks the team coach to provide recommendations for the reorganization that the team should consider and discuss during the next session. What should the coach do? 

What is the BEST action? 

• Offer to meet directly with the CEO to provide suggestions about organizational changes the CEO may want to consider 
• Clarify the difference between team coaching and team consulting, and refer the CEO back to the team coaching agreement 
• Acknowledge the suggestions offered by team members during the initial team session and indicate the team coach’s recommendations are not needed.
• Work directly with the CEO to add a team consulting session to the agreement before the next session. 

What is the WORST action? 

• Offer to meet directly with the CEO to provide suggestions about organizational changes the CEO may want to consider 
• Clarify the difference between team coaching and team consulting, and refer the CEO back to the team coaching agreement 
• Acknowledge the suggestions offered by team members during the initial team session and indicate the team coach’s recommendations are not needed. 
• Work directly with the CEO to add a team consulting session to the agreement before the next session. 

A team coach is working with a senior management team that includes the CEO of the organization and directors from five different departments. During the initial session, it is clear to the team coach that there is conflict between the CEO and one of the department directors. The CEO and director avoid eye contact throughout the session and cross their arms when the other one speaks. Toward the end of the session, the CEO rolls their eyes at an idea the director shares, and the director responds with a rude remark to the CEO. The other members of the team seem uncomfortable, watching in silence or looking down at the floor. What should the coach do? 

What is the BEST action? 

• Ask the CEO and director to leave the room and continue their conversation elsewhere.   
• Wait to see if the CEO responds to the director’s remark. 
• Invite the team to reflect on how conflict impacts the team’s progress and how the team can best address conflict when it occurs. 
• Remind team members of their agreement to engage professionally in all team coaching sessions. 

What is the WORST action? 

• Ask the CEO and director to leave the room and continue their conversation elsewhere.   
• Wait to see if the CEO responds to the director’s remark. 
• Invite the team to reflect on how conflict impacts the team’s progress and how the team can best address conflict when it occurs. 
• Remind team members of their agreement to engage professionally in all team coaching sessions. 

A team coach has been working with a team for six months to support their goal to collaborate more effectively. The team members live and work in various time zones around the world and have few opportunities to interact directly with one another. The team members seemed uncomfortable during the initial sessions. Over time, however, the coach saw the team members develop a greater level of trust and familiarity. During a session midway through the scheduled engagement, the coach presents a challenging exercise to the team and the team members quickly partner to complete the exercise.  As the team finishes this activity, the coach observes the significant improvement in the team’s collaboration skills over the six-month team coaching engagement. What should the coach do? 

What is the BEST action? 

• Share that the team has achieved its goal of improving collaboration and announce that no additional team coaching sessions are needed. 
• Invite the team members to share their reflections on the team’s collaboration.  
• Ask the team leader to report the outcome of the exercise. 
• Remain silent to allow the team to report the outcome of the exercise. 

What is the WORST action? 

• Share that the team has achieved its goal of improving collaboration and announce that no additional team coaching sessions are needed. 
• Invite the team members to share their reflections on the team’s collaboration.  
• Ask the team leader to report the outcome of the exercise. 
• Remain silent to allow the team to report the outcome of the exercise. 

A team coach is supporting an organization’s senior leaders to develop a clear long-term strategy to increase profitability. The team includes a newly hired Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and the vice presidents for marketing and sales. During the third session, the team engages in a discussion to collectively define a new strategy to improve the organization’s sales figures. Members of the team seem actively engaged in the conversation, however the coach notices the CEO frequently looking at their phone and scrolling through emails. The coach senses that the other team members are becoming increasingly frustrated and the conversation stalling. What should the coach do? 

What is the BEST action? 

• Ask the CEO to put their phone away and focus on the discussion. 
• Invite the team to take a short break. 
• Invite the team members to share what they need to move toward the development of a clear, unified strategy.  
• Reengage the CEO in the discussion by asking the CEO’s opinion about some of the strategies proposed by team members.  

What is the WORST action? 

• Ask the CEO to put their phone away and focus on the discussion. 
• Invite the team to take a short break. 
• Invite the team members to share what they need to move toward the development of a clear, unified strategy.  
• Reengage the CEO in the discussion by asking the CEO’s opinion about some of the strategies proposed by team members.  

A coach is working with an executive team to improve their workplace’s culture, following complaints of poor treatment by staff. During a recent coaching session, the team brainstorms strategies to improve the culture, including developing clear organizational values. The director of human resources expresses concern about senior leaders identifying values for the organization without the staff’s input. Other team members respond that the HR director’s idea is impractical because collecting staff input would take too long and delay the team’s progress. Frustrated, the HR director asks the coach to share their thoughts on the best approach. What should the coach do? 

What is the BEST action? 

• Remind the team that it is their role to determine the best approach for their organization, and ask the team what would support them to move forward. 
• Suggest that the team continue the discussion during their next session. 
• Invite the team members to reflect on how the staff might feel if they do not have the opportunity to provide input on organizational values. 
• Share what the coach would do in this situation, but indicate that it is ultimately the decision of the team. 

What is the WORST action? 

• Remind the team that it is their role to determine the best approach for their organization, and ask the team what would support them to move forward. 
• Suggest that the team continue the discussion during their next session. 
• Invite the team members to reflect on how the staff might feel if they do not have the opportunity to provide input on organizational values. 
• Share what the coach would do in this situation, but indicate that it is ultimately the decision of the team. 

The ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam is offered in English with language aids available in select languages.  

Exam Language Aids 

An exam with translated language aids features both the original exam item (English) as well as the same item in the language of translation. This allows a candidate to see both forms of the exam question, which for can offer additional support to candidates who speak English as a second language to ensure clarity across the translated form of each item.

For the ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam with language aids, the exam instructions and all navigation buttons of the exam are in the language of translation. Each item is presented in the original English form, along with a “Translation” button that allows the candidate to view the same item and response options in the language of translation. 

The ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam offers the following language aids: 

• French 
• Spanish 

Exam in non-English Speaking Countries 

To support candidates completing the ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam in English as a secondary language, candidates will receive an automatic time extension of 60 minutes if exam language aids are not offered in their primary language AND the candidate resides in a non-English speaking country. 

Requests for Bilingual Translation Dictionary  

Candidates whose primary language is not English and for which an ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam language aid is not available may request to use a hardcopy bilingual translation dictionary to support them in taking the exam. Web-based translation dictionaries, software and smart device applications are not permitted.   

The candidate must provide a bilingual translation dictionary that consists only of translations (no definitions may be included) and that is free of any markings or handwritten notes. For exam security purposes, the dictionary provided by the candidate will be subject to visual inspection by a Pearson VUE proctor at a testing center or via remote proctor service. Candidates approved for a bilingual translation dictionary will also be eligible for extended exam time, not to exceed one hour. This service is provided at no additional charge to candidates.  

To request the use of a bilingual translation dictionary, candidates should complete the ICF Exam Language Support Request form and submit it to support@coachingfederation.org (include “ICF Exam Language Support Request Form” in the subject line) prior to scheduling an exam appointment. ICF is not able to add a language support service to an existing exam appointment.   

Requests for Translation Support  

Candidates may also submit a Request for Translation Support to complete the ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam. This service, provided by Pearson VUE, allows a candidate to complete the exam with translation assistance from a Pearson-approved translator. Candidates requesting this service will be charged a service fee by Pearson VUE of up to $1,500 USD to support the translator’s services and related expenses.  

For exam security purposes, candidates are not permitted to provide their own translator for assistance in completing an exam.  

To request the Pearson Translation Support Service, candidates should complete the ICF Exam Language Support Request form and submit it to support@coachingfederation.org (include “ICF Exam Language Support Request Form” in the subject line) prior to scheduling an exam appointment. ICF is not able to add a language support service to an existing exam appointment. 

As U.S.-based organizations, ICF Credentials and Standards and Pearson VUE are subject to and must comply with international trade sanctions laws and regulations imposed by the U.S. government (Office of Foreign Assets Control). These sanctions regulations prohibit ICF Credentials and Standards from providing certain products and services—including exam administration—to individuals or organizations in designated countries subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions, or to individuals identified on the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. 

As such, ICF Credentials and Standards is prohibited by law to administer its exams in the following countries and regions subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions, which currently includes: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. 

Additionally, Pearson VUE has suspended delivery of all testing services throughout Belarus, including in-person exam at test centers and online testing via OnVUE. Remote test delivery is also unavailable in China due to limited internet and connectivity issues.

NOTE: The list of countries may change based on OFAC requirements. 

If you need support regarding the ICF Team Coaching Exam, please visit the ICF Support Page where you can find helpful FAQs and, if necessary, can reach out to the ICF Support Team.