ACC Minimum Skills Requirements

The ACC Minimum Skills Requirements offer a clear, practical picture of what it means to demonstrate competence at the Associate Certified Coach level.

This resource highlights the essential skills and behaviors that assessors listen for in ACC performance evaluation recordings, while also highlighting common pitfalls that can undermine effective coaching.

More than a preparation tool, this guide serves as a mirror for reflection and a compass for growth. Use it to examine your coaching practice, recognize emerging patterns, and celebrate growth. These guidelines also support mentor coaches and anyone else evaluating coaches.

By articulating both strengths to cultivate and the areas for refinement, these requirements offer dual value: they provide reassurance that coaching competency is both concrete and attainable, while charting a clear path for skill development. This empowers you to serve clients with greater confidence and advance purposefully in your coaching journey.

The new skills requirements will apply to performance evaluations submitted on or after January 1, 2026. If you’re applying on or before December 31, 2025, see the previous minimum skills and ACC credential criteria for guidance.