ICF PCC Markers Explained: All 37 Markers by Competency, With Example Coach Lines
The PCC Markers are the behaviors ICF assessors are trained to listen for when they decide whether a recorded coaching conversation shows the Core Competencies at the Professional Certified Coach level. This guide lists all 37markers in ICF's own wording, explains what assessors listen for in each competency, gives an example coach line and a common miss for each, and shows you how to review your own recording against them. Every factual claim links back to ICF.
The PCC Markers at a glance
- How many: 37 numbered markers across Competencies 3–8.
- Current version: ICF's 2021 markers, revised November 2020.
- Competency 1: no numbered markers; assessed on ethics and staying in the coach role.
- Competency 2: primarily the Credentialing Exam, plus 11 markers in the session.
- Not a checklist: ICF says so explicitly; assessment is holistic.
- From 1 Apr 2027: MCS mentors, trained on the markers, observe ACC/PCC Portfolio candidates.
What the PCC Markers are and who uses them
ICF describes assessment markers as the indicators an assessor is trained to listen for to determine which Core Competencies are in evidence in a recorded coaching conversation, and to what extent. The PCC Markers are the PCC-level version: observable behaviors that show the ICF Core Competencies at the Professional Certified Coach standard. ICF states that they support a performance evaluation process that is fair, consistent, valid, reliable, repeatable and defensible. In other words, they give assessors a shared, behavior-level description of what PCC-level coaching sounds like.
Three groups use them. ICF assessors use them to evaluate PCC performance evaluation recordings. Mentor coaches and coach trainersuse them to give developmental feedback: ICF's document says the markers may help coaches, coach trainers and mentor coaches identify areas for growth at the PCC level, always in the context of Core Competency development. And coaches themselvesuse them to understand what “PCC level” sounds like in practice.
The 2027 changes make the markers more central to mentor coaching. From 1 January 2027, new mentor coaching hours must come from a mentor with the Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS), and ICF requires MCS applicants to complete its evaluation training (ACC BARS, PCC Markers, MCC BARS) for each level they mentor. From 1 April 2027, ACC and PCC Portfolio applicants no longer submit a performance evaluation recording; their MCS mentor observes at least three sessions and submits a Competency Review Form instead. MCC candidates keep the performance evaluation. The full timeline is in our guide to the 2027 ICF mentor coaching changes, and the credential requirements are on the ICF PCC certification page.
Why the markers are not a checklist
ICF is direct about this. The PCC Markers document says the markers should not be used as a checklist in a formulaic manner for passing the PCC performance evaluation. ICF's PCC assessment criteria page adds that these minimum skills are not meant to be a simple checklist but reflect a dynamic, holistic approach to effective coaching, not a formula for passing.
In practice, coaches who treat the markers as a checklist tend to sound like it. They ask “What would success look like?” in the first minute because 3.2 requires it, then never return to it. They insert “What are you learning about yourself?” with five minutes left regardless of where the client is. The marker is technically touched, but the behavior it describes, partnering with the client, is missing.
A more useful way to read each marker is as a description of what a client-centered coach naturally does when they are paying full attention. If you find yourself “doing” a marker, ask what the client needed at that moment instead. The marker usually follows.
Competencies 1 and 2: assessed differently
1. Demonstrates Ethical Practice
No numbered markers. ICF expects PCC candidates to coach in line with the ICF Code of Ethics and to remain consistent in the role of coach. Its assessment criteria list what assessors treat as inconsistent with the standard: clear ethics violations, coaching mainly in consulting mode or focusing heavily on the past, and primarily giving advice rather than facilitating the client's own insight.
2. Embodies a Coaching Mindset
ICF notes that a coaching mindset develops over a career and cannot be fully captured in a single moment. It is primarily evaluated in the ICF Credentialing Exam. The parts that show up in a session are assessed through markers 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.5, 7.1, 7.5, and ICF states that a minimum number of these must be demonstrated.
All 37 PCC Markers by competency
Marker wording below follows ICF's published PCC Markers. The “listen for” notes, example lines and common misses are our own illustrations, not ICF text; there are many ways to demonstrate each marker, and a line only counts if it fits the conversation it appears in.
Competency 3: Establishes and Maintains Agreements
4 markers
- 3.1Coach partners with the client to identify or reconfirm what the client wants to accomplish in this session.
- 3.2Coach partners with the client to define or reconfirm measure(s) of success for what the client wants to accomplish in this session.
- 3.3Coach inquires about or explores what is important or meaningful to the client about what they want to accomplish in this session.
- 3.4Coach partners with the client to define what the client believes they need to address to achieve what they want to accomplish in this session.
What assessors listen for: Whether the session has a destination the client chose, a way to know when they have reached it, why it matters to them, and what they think stands in the way. Assessors also listen for the coach coming back to the agreement when the conversation shifts.
Example (3.2): “If we get this right in the next forty minutes, what will you walk away with that you don’t have now?”
Common miss: Accepting a broad topic (“I want to talk about my career”) and starting to explore without ever agreeing what success in this session looks like.
Competency 4: Cultivates Trust and Safety
4 markers
- 4.1Coach acknowledges and respects the client's unique talents, insights, and work in the coaching process.
- 4.2Coach shows support, empathy, or concern for the client.
- 4.3Coach acknowledges and supports the client's expression of feelings, perceptions, concerns, beliefs, or suggestions.
- 4.4Coach partners with the client by inviting the client to respond in any way to the coach's contributions and accepts the client's response.
What assessors listen for: Whether the client is treated as capable and whole: their effort and insight are acknowledged, their feelings are welcomed rather than managed, and when the coach offers something, the client is genuinely free to reject it.
Example (4.4): “That’s just my read, and it may be off. What fits for you, and what doesn’t?”
Common miss: Praise aimed at the outcome (“Great plan!”) instead of acknowledgment of who the client is being, or offering an idea and then quietly defending it when the client pushes back.
Competency 5: Maintains Presence
5 markers
- 5.1Coach acts in response to the whole person of the client (the "who").
- 5.2Coach acts in response to what the client wants to accomplish throughout this session (the "what").
- 5.3Coach partners with the client by supporting the client to choose what happens in this session.
- 5.4Coach demonstrates curiosity to learn more about the client.
- 5.5Coach allows for silence, pause, or reflection.
What assessors listen for: Whether the coach stays with this client and this conversation, responding to both the person (the “who”) and the goal (the “what”), letting the client steer, staying curious, and leaving room for silence.
Example (5.3): “We’ve touched on the deadline and on your manager. Where would you like to go from here?”
Common miss: Filling every pause with the next question, or following a script of prepared questions that no longer fits what the client just said.
Competency 6: Listens Actively
7 markers
- 6.1Coach's questions and observations are customized by using what the coach has learned about who the client is or the client's situation.
- 6.2Coach inquires about or explores the words the client uses.
- 6.3Coach inquires about or explores the client's emotions.
- 6.4Coach explores the client's energy shifts, nonverbal cues, or other behaviors.
- 6.5Coach inquires about or explores how the client currently perceives themself or their world.
- 6.6Coach allows the client to complete speaking without interrupting unless there is a stated coaching purpose to do so.
- 6.7Coach succinctly reflects or summarizes what the client communicated to ensure the client's clarity and understanding.
What assessors listen for: Evidence that the coach heard more than the content: questions built on the client’s own words, attention to emotion and energy, curiosity about how the client sees things, no interruptions without purpose, and short reflections that help the client hear themselves.
Example (6.2): “You’ve said ‘I should’ three times now. What does ‘should’ mean for you here?”
Common miss: Long paraphrases that restate everything the client said and add the coach’s interpretation, which turns a reflection into a speech.
Competency 7: Evokes Awareness
8 markers
- 7.1Coach asks questions about the client, such as their current way of thinking, feeling, values, needs, wants, beliefs, or behavior.
- 7.2Coach asks questions to help the client explore beyond the client's current thinking or feeling to new or expanded ways of thinking or feeling about themself (the "who").
- 7.3Coach asks questions to help the client explore beyond the client's current thinking or feeling to new or expanded ways of thinking or feeling about their situation (the "what").
- 7.4Coach asks questions to help the client explore beyond current thinking, feeling, or behaving toward the outcome the client desires.
- 7.5Coach shares — with no attachment — observations, intuitions, comments, thoughts, or feelings, and invites the client's exploration through verbal or tonal invitation.
- 7.6Coach asks clear, direct, primarily open-ended questions, one at a time, at a pace that allows for thinking, feeling, or reflection by the client.
- 7.7Coach uses language that is generally clear and concise.
- 7.8Coach allows the client to do most of the talking.
What assessors listen for: Questions that move the client beyond what they already think, about themselves and about the situation, plus observations offered without attachment. Assessors also listen to how the coach asks: one clear, mostly open question at a time, concise language, and the client doing most of the talking.
Example (7.2): “Who would you need to be to have that conversation on Monday?”
Common miss: Stacked questions (“What do you want, and why, and is that realistic?”) or leading questions with the answer built in (“Have you thought about just talking to her?”).
Competency 8: Facilitates Client Growth
9 markers
- 8.1Coach invites or allows the client to explore progress toward what the client wanted to accomplish in this session.
- 8.2Coach invites the client to state or explore the client's learning in this session about themself (the "who").
- 8.3Coach invites the client to state or explore the client's learning in this session about their situation (the "what").
- 8.4Coach invites the client to consider how they will use new learning from this coaching session.
- 8.5Coach partners with the client to design post-session thinking, reflection, or action.
- 8.6Coach partners with the client to consider how to move forward, including resources, support, or potential barriers.
- 8.7Coach partners with the client to design the best methods of accountability for themself.
- 8.8Coach celebrates the client's progress and learning.
- 8.9Coach partners with the client on how they want to complete this session.
What assessors listen for: How learning turns into movement: the client names what they learned about themselves and the situation, decides how to use it, designs their own next steps and accountability, and shapes how the session ends.
Example (8.2): “Before we look at next steps, what have you noticed about yourself in this conversation?”
Common miss: Running out of time and closing with “So you’ll send the email, great, see you next week”: an action item, but no learning and no partnership on how to finish.
How to self-review a recording against the PCC Markers
Listening to yourself is uncomfortable, and it is also the fastest way to see the gap between how you think you coach and how you actually coach. A structured pass makes it manageable.
- 1
Record a real session with consent
Use a genuine client conversation, not a demo. Get the client's explicit permission to record and to use the recording for your development, and store it securely.
- 2
Transcribe it
Marker evidence lives in exact words. A transcript lets you see stacked questions, interruptions and who did most of the talking, which are easy to miss by ear.
- 3
Listen once without scoring
Note where the client's energy rose or dropped and where the conversation turned. These moments are where most markers are earned or missed.
- 4
Map the arc: agreement, exploration, close
Mark where you formed the agreement (Competency 3), whether you returned to it, and how the session ended (8.1, 8.9). Missing structure is the most common reason a session feels unfocused.
- 5
Tag evidence by marker, with quotes
For each competency, find a line of yours that demonstrates a marker and write the marker number next to it. If you can't find a quote, treat it as not demonstrated.
- 6
Look for patterns, not gaps in one session
One session can be atypical. Review two or three and look for markers that are missing every time; those are your real development areas.
- 7
Bring one pattern to your mentor
Arrive at mentor coaching with a specific question (“I rarely explore emotions; here are two moments where I could have”) so paid time goes to refinement, not discovery.
PCC Markers FAQ
How many PCC Markers are there?+
There are 37 numbered PCC Markers, spread across Core Competencies 3 to 8: four for Establishes and Maintains Agreements, four for Cultivates Trust and Safety, five for Maintains Presence, seven for Listens Actively, eight for Evokes Awareness and nine for Facilitates Client Growth. Competencies 1 and 2 have no numbered markers of their own.
Is there a PDF of the ICF PCC Markers?+
Yes. ICF publishes the PCC Markers (revised November 2020) as a PDF on its PCC Markers resource page, along with translations into several languages. Download it from coachingfederation.org rather than from third-party sites, so you always have ICF's current version. The full marker wording is also reproduced in this guide.
How many PCC Markers do I need to pass?+
ICF does not publish a fixed number. Its PCC Markers document says that a minimum number of markers will need to be demonstrated in each competency area, but it does not state the count. ICF also says the markers should not be used as a checklist in a formulaic manner, and describes PCC-level assessment as a holistic approach to effective coaching, not a formula for passing.
How are Competencies 1 and 2 assessed?+
Competency 1 (Demonstrates Ethical Practice) has no numbered markers: ICF expects coaching aligned with the ICF Code of Ethics and a coach who stays consistently in the coaching role; assessors flag clear ethics violations, primarily consulting or advice-giving, and excessive focus on the past. Competency 2 (Embodies a Coaching Mindset) is primarily evaluated in the ICF Credentialing Exam; the elements visible in a session are assessed through markers 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1, 6.5, 7.1, 7.5.
Are the PCC Markers still used after the 2027 changes?+
Yes, though the setting changes for many candidates. From 1 April 2027, ACC and PCC Portfolio applicants no longer submit a performance evaluation recording; instead a mentor coach with the Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS) observes at least three of their sessions and submits a Competency Review Form. ICF requires MCS applicants to complete ICF evaluation training (ACC BARS, PCC Markers, MCC BARS) for each level they mentor, so PCC-level mentors are trained on the markers.
Do the PCC Markers apply to ACC or MCC candidates?+
The PCC Markers describe coaching at the PCC level. ACC and MCC candidates are assessed with separate instruments, which ICF calls the ACC BARS and MCC BARS. Many coaches still use the PCC Markers as a developmental reference at any level, which ICF's document explicitly allows for coaches, coach trainers and mentor coaches.
Can an AI review against the PCC Markers replace mentor coaching?+
No. AI evaluation is preparation, never a substitute for mentor coaching. Mentor coaching hours must be delivered by a qualified human mentor (from 1 January 2027, an MCS holder), and AI practice does not count toward ICF hours. What a marker-based AI review can do is show you, before a paid mentor session, which markers you consistently miss, so mentor time goes to refinement.
Sources (ICF)
- ICF — PCC Markers (2021) resource page
- ICF — PCC Markers document (PDF, revised November 2020)
- ICF — Criteria for assessing the PCC credential
- ICF — Mentor coaching requirement replacing ACC & PCC performance evaluations
- ICF — Introducing the Mentor Coach Specialization
Verified 6 October 2026. ICF may update its assessment materials; check the ICF pages above before you apply. Related: ICF mentor coaching changes 2027 · ICF PCC certification · the 8 Core Competencies
See which PCC Markers your session actually shows
Upload a transcript of a real session and get a marker-by-marker review with quotes from your own conversation, so you know your patterns before you spend a paid mentor hour.