The Updated 2025 ICF Core Competencies: Everything You Need to Know

This month the ICF published its updated Core Competencies for the first time since 2019, and we wanted to share what these developments might mean for you.

Importantly, the update involves incremental developments; it is not an overhaul. Here are some answers to questions you might be asking yourself:

What are the ICF core competencies for?
The ICF core competencies lay out the global standard for professional coaching, defining the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors for meaningful, results-driven coaching. They offer a practical and deeply reflective guide for delivering excellent coaching.

Why and how are the core competencies updated?
The ICF reviews and updates the core competencies every five to six years to reflect the reality of current coaching practices. Our world is evolving, and so is coaching, so the core competencies need to reflect these changes.

The updates are the result of a rigorous, evidence-based job analysis, involving thousands of coaches worldwide.

I’m working towards my first ICF credential. Do these changes affect the ACC exam?
No. If you are currently due to complete your ICF ACC exam, you should continue to plan for questions based on the 2019 core competencies. Updates to the ACC exam will not occur until the second half of 2026.

I’m about to record and submit my performance evaluation. Is there anything I need to do differently?
No. ICF will give plenty of notice of any changes to the performance evaluation, so for now you can continue to work with the 2019 core competencies.

I’m currently on the Barefoot coach training course. What do these changes mean for me?
As for delegates currently participating in our coach training programme, our training material will be evolving to align with the updated 2025 competencies, so you can expect to be introduced to the updated core competencies soon.

I’m an ICF credential holder (ACC, PCC or MCC). What do I need to do?
As an ICF credential holder you do not need to do anything in particular. However, we’d recommend familiarizing yourself with the updated core competencies to maintain alignment with best practice.

What has changed from 2019 to 2025?
Five new sub competencies have been added, there are revisions to eleven sub competencies, and a glossary of terms has been added. There are no new competencies – the changes involve additions and revisions to the existing framework.

Updates are mostly enhancements, including refined, consistent language, improved clarity, and strengthened relevance.

We have identified six overall themes in the update:

• Self-care and development. A strong focus can be seen in the being of coaching, alongside the doing of coaching. This means embodying a coaching mindset, not just in the session, but on a wider professional and personal basis, including through mentor coaching and supervision.
• Contemporary context. The contemporary context of coaching is referenced, including the impact of technological advances.
• Self-awareness. The new competencies call for awareness of biases, the ability to describe one’s coaching philosophy, awareness of what is showing up for the coach, and the impact of these thoughts and behaviours.
• Agreements. The process of contracting as an ongoing partnership throughout the coaching engagement is clarified.
• Client-centred partnership. The new competencies reinforce the concept of partnership with the client, with a focus on client autonomy and understanding of the client’s unique context.
• Increased clarity. Several sub competencies have been extended for clarity, and a glossary of terms has been added.

For an overview of all changes, visit the ICF Core Competencies 2019 to 2025 comparison chart.

Whatever stage you’re at in your coaching practice – whether you’re just starting out, or looking towards continued professional development – we hope you find this useful.