ICF ACC Credentialing Exam Prep · 2026

Associate Certified Coach
Exam Preparation

Multiple choice questions aligned to all 8 ICF Core Competencies. Select the most appropriate response for each coaching scenario.

99
Questions
8
Competencies
460
Pass Score
6
Practice Modes
Study Resources
Reference guides and quick practice
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Seen
0
Weak
0
Retired
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Total Q
📋
Exam Format Guide
What to expect, tips, common mistakes, and how to approach the situational judgment format.
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Key Concepts
All 8 competencies and ethics with examples, how they're tested, and your personal study notes.
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Quick Review
10-question sprint with immediate feedback. Great for a focused warm-up on any competency.
10 questions · 15 min
🎯
Review Weak Areas
Revisit questions you've answered incorrectly. Retires questions once answered correctly twice in a row.
📊
My Performance
Strengths, weaknesses, Best vs Worst accuracy, most-missed questions, and corrective actions.
Choose Practice Mode
Click to start immediately — filter by competency below for targeted practice
📖
Practice Mode
Immediate per-option feedback after each question. Best for learning.
20 questions · Untimed · Single best response
Questions:
⏱️
Timed Exam
Random questions from selected competencies. Score revealed at end.
30 questions · 39 min
🔍
Question Lookup
Browse all questions by competency or look up a specific question by ID.
145 questions · No timer
Filter by Competency (applies to Timed Exam & Practice Mode)
All
C1 · Ethical Practice
C2 · Coaching Mindset
C3 · Agreements
C4 · Trust & Safety
C5 · Presence
C6 · Active Listening
C7 · Evokes Awareness
C8 · Client Growth
Pool: 109 questions available
Full Length Exam
Complete ACC exam simulation — 60 questions across 2 sections with scheduled break
🎓
Full Length Exam New
Complete ACC-style exam — 60 questions across 2 sections with a scheduled break. Mirrors real exam structure and content distribution.
📋 Instructions · 2 min 📝 Section 1 · 30 Q · 39 min ☕ Break · 10 min 📝 Section 2 · 30 Q · 39 min
60 Q · 90 min →
← Exit
Q1
of 20
Domain
Question Map
Answered Flagged
Session Complete
Results
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SCALED SCORE
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Passing: 460 · Range: 200–600
Performance by Domain
Your accuracy across ICF exam competencies
Question Review
Click any question to expand
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Question Lookup
Look up by question ID, or browse an entire competency. Toggle whether answers are shown.
Show Answers?
Browse by Competency
All
C1 · Ethical Practice
C2 · Coaching Mindset
C3 · Agreements
C4 · Trust & Safety
C5 · Presence
C6 · Active Listening
C7 · Evokes Awareness
C8 · Client Growth
Or look up by specific Question ID (1–95)
Exam Preparation Guide
What to Expect in the
ICF ACC Exam
Everything you need to know about the exam format, content domains, scoring, and smart strategies for the ACC credentialing exam.
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📐Exam Structure at a Glance
Total Items
60
Knowledge-based multiple choice — one correct response from four options
Scored Items
50
10 are unscored field-test items mixed randomly — you cannot tell which they are
Time Allowed
90 min
Two sections of 30 items each, with an optional 10-minute break between
Passing Score
460
On a scaled score of 200–600. Preliminary results shown immediately after
Format
Multiple Choice
Select the single most appropriate response — no Best/Worst, no partial credit
Scoring
1 pt / Q
1 point per correct answer across 50 scored items. Maximum raw score = 50
📋Exam Timeline
2 min
Instructions
Read and accept the candidate non-disclosure agreement. You may begin when ready.
39 min
Section 1 · 30 Questions
First half of the exam. Questions drawn from all three content domains.
10 min
Optional Break
Section timer stops. You may leave your station. Section 2 begins when you return.
39 min
Section 2 · 30 Questions
Second half of the exam. Same domain distribution. Timer is independent of Section 1.
🗺️What the Exam Tests

The ICF ACC Exam tests knowledge of coaching ethics, the definition and boundaries of coaching, and the ICF Core Competencies. Unlike situational judgment exams, there is one definitively correct answer per question — not a nuanced hierarchy of four responses. Questions are based on the 2019 ICF Core Competencies and the 2020 ICF Code of Ethics.

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    Coaching Ethics — 30% Knowledge of the ICF Code of Ethics, conflicts of interest, confidentiality obligations, and relevant laws and regulations. What constitutes an ethical violation, and how to respond to ethical dilemmas.
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    Definition and Boundaries of Coaching — 30% How coaching differs from therapy, counselling, mentoring, and consulting. When and how to refer to mental health professionals. Recognising signs of mental health conditions that may block coaching progress.
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    Coaching Competencies, Strategies & Techniques — 40% Knowledge of the ICF Core Competencies, coaching agreements, goal-setting and motivation, and a variety of coaching tools and techniques (metaphors, scaling questions, etc.).
⚠ Important: The ACC Exam is based on the 2019 ICF Core Competencies — not the most recent version. The eight competencies are the same, but refer to the 2019 document when studying behavioral markers. The exam also uses the 2020 ICF Code of Ethics.
⚡Smart Strategies for the ACC Exam
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    Know the 2019 Core Competencies in depth. Questions directly test knowledge of the competencies — what they require, what violates them, and how they apply. The ACC Minimum Skills Requirements is the most targeted study document.
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    Master the coaching vs non-coaching distinction. The Definitions & Boundaries domain is 30% of the exam. Know clearly what distinguishes coaching from therapy, consulting, mentoring, and counselling — and when referral is appropriate.
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    Study the 2020 Code of Ethics. Ethics is 30% of the exam. Know specific obligations: confidentiality, conflict of interest, informed consent, dual relationships, scope of practice, and what constitutes a violation.
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    Don't overthink it. The ACC exam tests knowledge, not nuanced situational judgment. If you know the ICF standards, the correct answer is usually clear. Eliminate obviously wrong options (advice-giving, dismissiveness, diagnosing) first.
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    Answer every question. Ten items are unscored field-test questions — but you can't tell which. There is no penalty for guessing. Never leave an item blank.
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    Flag and return. The exam platform allows flagging. If unsure, flag it, move on, and return before time runs out. A question you can eliminate options on is worth more time than one you're completely stuck on.
🚫Common Mistakes to Avoid
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    Confusing coaching with consulting or therapy. Any answer that has the coach giving advice, prescribing solutions, or treating psychological conditions is wrong — regardless of how helpful it sounds.
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    Missing mental health referral signals. Questions may describe symptoms of depression, anxiety, or psychosis. Know the signs and know that the correct response is to acknowledge, explore professional support, and refer — not to coach through it.
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    Applying PCC-level nuance to ACC questions. The ACC exam tests whether you know what good coaching IS — not subtle 2nd-best-vs-2nd-worst distinctions. The wrong answers are usually clearly non-coaching responses.
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    Ignoring the 'definition of coaching' domain. Questions about how coaching differs from other professions catch many candidates unprepared. The distinctions are tested directly and specifically.
📚Recommended Study Resources
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    2019 ICF Core Competencies — The direct basis of the exam. Know all 8 competencies and their behavioral markers.
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    ACC Minimum Skills Requirements (2026) — Lists consistent and inconsistent behaviors for each competency at ACC level. The most targeted study document available.
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    2020 ICF Code of Ethics — The ethics content (30% of exam) is based on this version specifically.
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    ICF Guidelines: Referring a Client to Therapy — Directly supports the Definitions & Boundaries domain content on referral and mental health recognition.
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    Materials from your coaching education program — Especially content aligned to the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics.
Study Reference
Key Concepts & Core Competencies
Each competency explained with exampleexamples, how it's tested, and what the exam looks for. Plus your personal study notes.
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1
Demonstrates Ethical Practice
Domain: Foundation
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What it means
Understanding and consistently applying coaching ethics and ICF standards. The coach acts with integrity, maintains confidentiality, recognises conflicts of interest, and stays squarely within the coaching role rather than slipping into consulting, therapy, or mentoring.
💬 exampleExample
"Your client confesses they've been padding their expense reports and wants your help covering it up. You're not their accomplice, their lawyer, or their mother. You acknowledge it, decline to assist with the cover-up, and explore what they actually want their professional integrity to look like. That's ethical coaching — not a crime drama."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Ethical scenarios often involve: (1) a client disclosing something illegal or harmful, (2) a sponsor trying to access confidential information, (3) a dual relationship (friend, colleague), or (4) the coach operating outside their competency. The worst response almost always involves the coach acting in bad faith or ignoring their ethical obligation. The best response typically involves transparency, the coaching agreement, and exploring the client's own values.
Example exam direction: "A client's sponsor asks for informal updates not covered in the original agreement. The coach should..."

Best: Discuss with the client, reinforce the agreement, and decline to share anything outside it. Worst: Share informally because the sponsor is paying.
2
Embodies a Coaching Mindset
Domain: Foundation
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What it means
A mindset that is open, curious, flexible, and client-centred. The coach develops ongoing awareness of their own biases, stays non-attached to outcomes, and genuinely trusts the client as the expert on their own life. It's about who the coach is being, not just what they're doing.
💬 exampleExample
"You're a 20-year HR veteran and your client just described a textbook bad hire. You can see the answer so clearly it's practically glowing in neon. A coaching mindset means noticing that neon sign, nodding at it politely, and then setting it on fire — so you can stay genuinely curious about what the client is discovering. Your expertise is not the point. Their insight is."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Mindset questions often involve the coach having relevant expertise that is tempting to share, or the coach's own feelings (excitement, judgment, discomfort) starting to drive the session. The best response involves the coach noticing their own state and returning to curiosity. The worst response involves the coach inserting their perspective as central.
Example exam direction: "A coach with deep business expertise notices they're already composing advice while the client is still speaking. The best response is..."

Best: Notice the impulse, set it aside, and return to genuine curiosity about what the client is discovering. Worst: Share the advice because it's clearly relevant and time-saving.
3
Establishes and Maintains Agreements
Domain: Co-Creating the Relationship
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What it means
Co-creating clarity about what is to be accomplished in each session and across the coaching engagement. This includes the overall coaching relationship agreement AND the live session agreement — what the client wants to achieve today, how success would feel, and what needs exploring to get there.
💬 exampleExample
"A client saying 'I want to feel more confident' is like someone walking into a restaurant and saying 'I want something good.' Technically useful, but you're going to need to dig a bit deeper before the kitchen gets involved. The coach's job isn't to translate the vague goal into SMART objectives — it's to explore what 'confident' actually means to this specific person, in this specific context, at this specific moment."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Agreement scenarios test whether the coach partners to co-create the agenda or unilaterally determines it. Common scenarios: a client gives a vague goal, the session shifts mid-way, or the coach ignores the client's actual request. Best responses always involve explicit partnering. Worst responses involve the coach choosing the direction without the client's input.
Example exam direction: "15 minutes in, the client pivots from their career topic to talk about a difficult family relationship. The coach should..."

Best: Name the shift and partner with the client on whether to continue, shift, or explore the connection. Worst: Continue with the original career topic regardless.
4
Cultivates Trust and Safety
Domain: Co-Creating the Relationship
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What it means
Creating an environment where the client feels safe to share, take risks, and be authentic. This includes respecting the client's unique contributions, showing genuine support and empathy, and never communicating — overtly or subtly — a lack of confidence in the client's capabilities.
💬 exampleExample
"A client shares their brilliant new startup idea with the energy of a golden retriever who just discovered tennis balls. Responding with 'Interesting — did you know 90% of startups fail in year one?' is technically accurate but functionally the equivalent of letting the air out of their tyres before they've left the driveway. Trust and safety means the client can bring their full self — including their dreams — without getting a risk audit in return."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Trust and safety scenarios often involve a client expressing vulnerability, showing cultural communication differences, disagreeing with the coach, or sharing something emotional. The best response acknowledges and creates space. The worst response dismisses, redirects, or subtly undermines the client's confidence or autonomy.
Example exam direction: "A client from a different cultural background uses silence frequently. The coach feels uncomfortable and keeps filling the silence. The coach should..."

Best: Recognise their discomfort as their own, practise tolerance for silence, and inquire into meaning without projecting cultural assumptions. Worst: Ask the client to be more direct.
5
Maintains Presence
Domain: Co-Creating the Relationship
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What it means
Being fully conscious and creating spontaneous relationships with clients — responding to the whole person and the whole moment, not just the content. Presence means following the client, not one's own agenda; tolerating silence; and noticing what isn't being said as much as what is.
💬 exampleExample
"You've prepared the perfect three-part question that would lead the client to a profound realisation — you can already see their face lighting up. But they just said something completely unexpected, and now your beautiful question is as useful as a snow globe in a hurricane. Maintaining presence means letting the snow globe go. The client's actual moment always beats your planned moment."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Presence scenarios involve the coach following their own agenda instead of the client's, failing to notice non-verbal cues, filling silence from discomfort, or getting caught up in their personal enthusiasm for a topic. Best responses show the coach responding to what's actually happening. Worst responses show the coach following their predetermined plan regardless.
Example exam direction: "After a powerful question, the client is silent for 45 seconds. The coach becomes uncomfortable and rephrases the question. The best alternative would have been..."

Best: Allow the silence to continue — trust the client's processing. Worst: Give the client a time limit for their response.
6
Listens Actively
Domain: Communicating Effectively
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What it means
Focusing on what the client is and is not saying — integrating their specific words, tone, and non-verbal cues. It means asking into the language the client uses rather than substituting your own interpretation, and allowing the client to do most of the talking.
💬 exampleExample
"A client says 'I feel like I'm drowning at work.' A coach who is not actively listening hears 'time management problem' and reaches for a productivity framework. An actively listening coach hears 'drowning' — a visceral metaphor — and wades right in: 'Tell me more about that drowning feeling. What does it look and feel like for you?' The metaphor is the data. The metaphor is the coaching."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Active listening scenarios test whether the coach tracks the client's actual language and emotional cues or substitutes their own interpretation. Common tests: a client uses a powerful recurring word the coach ignores; the coach talks 40% of the session; the coach makes assumptions about meaning. The best response inquires into the client's exact words. The worst response relabels their experience with a clinical category.
Example exam direction: "A client uses the word 'invisible' five times in the session. The coach has not acknowledged it. The coach should..."

Best: Inquire into the word 'invisible' — what it means and what it's like to experience it. Worst: Tell the client that 'feeling invisible' is not a professional issue.
7
Evokes Awareness
Domain: Communicating Effectively
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What it means
Using questions, observations, silence, and other techniques to invite insight. It means moving from the 'what' (the situation) to the 'who' (the person) — exploring the client's beliefs, values, and identity. Observations are shared with non-attachment; questions are open-ended, one at a time, at a reflective pace.
💬 exampleExample
"You ask a client a question, they think for a moment, and then — just as the insight is forming — you fire off two more questions because the silence felt unproductive. You have just walked into a room, switched on all the lights, and then immediately switched them off again. Evoking awareness requires planting the question and then stepping back to let it grow. One question. Pause. Let them arrive."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Awareness-evoking scenarios test whether the coach explores the client's inner world or stays on the surface of the situation. Exam tells: asking multiple questions at once (bad), using jargon-heavy language (bad), sharing an observation and insisting on it when the client disagrees (bad). Good: clear, single, open questions; moving from what to who; sharing intuitions lightly and accepting the client's response.
Example exam direction: "A coach shares an observation and the client disagrees. The coach says 'I still feel there's something more here.' The problem is..."

Best: The coach should accept the client's response and invite their own interpretation. Worst: Stating intuitions as fact backed by experience is over-confident and removes the client's authority over their experience.
8
Facilitates Client Growth
Domain: Cultivating Learning & Growth
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What it means
Partnering with the client to integrate learning and design their own next steps. The coach invites the client to reflect on progress, celebrates their growth, supports them in designing post-session actions, explores what might get in the way, and partners on how the client wants to close the session.
💬 exampleExample
"At the end of the session you say 'Great — so your homework for the week is to have that difficult conversation, update your LinkedIn, and meditate for 10 minutes every morning.' Congratulations — you've just become a life admin manager. PCC-level facilitation means asking: 'What feels right as a next step for you?' and then celebrating what they design, however modest. Their plan, designed by them, beats your plan, however excellent, every single time."
🎯 How it's tested on the exam
Growth facilitation scenarios test whether the coach partners on action design or prescribes it. Common traps: assigning homework, closing the session without reflection, moving to action before acknowledging insight, or naming the client's learning for them. Best responses invite the client to define their own growth, next steps, and accountability. Worst responses prescribe, direct, or skip the reflection entirely.
Example exam direction: "A client has just had a breakthrough insight. The coach immediately says: 'Great — so what are you going to do about it?' The issue is..."

Best: The coach should first acknowledge and celebrate the breakthrough, then invite the client to sit with it before exploring action. Worst: Moving directly to action without acknowledgment devalues the learning and skips integration.
ICF Code of Ethics — Exam Essentials
The exam tests the application of ethics in real coaching situations, not memorisation of the Code. Here are the principles that appear most frequently in exam scenarios.
🔒 Confidentiality
Coaches maintain the strictest confidentiality with all parties — including sponsors. Only information agreed upon in the original coaching agreement may be shared. This applies even when the sponsor is paying.
Exam tell: A sponsor asks for updates → Best: Refer to what was agreed with the client. Worst: Share because the sponsor is the client's employer.
⚖️ Conflict of Interest
Coaches identify and openly manage situations where they have multiple relationships with parties involved in the coaching. Coaching friends, colleagues, or business partners requires transparency and may require referral.
Exam tell: A friend asks to become a coaching client → Best: Discuss the potential conflict transparently and consider referral. Worst: Accept immediately — personal knowledge makes coaching more effective.
🎯 Scope of Practice
Coaches work within their boundaries of competency and the coaching role. They do not diagnose, advise medically, provide therapy, or make legal or financial recommendations — and they recognise when a referral is needed.
Exam tell: A client shows signs of clinical depression → Best: Gently name the observation, express care, and explore professional support. Worst: Diagnose the condition and suggest treatment.
✅ Accuracy and Honesty
Coaches make only true and accurate statements about their qualifications, experience, and what coaching can achieve. They do not provide false testimonials or overstate their credentials.
Exam tell: A coach is asked to endorse a program they haven't experienced → Best: Decline — they have no direct knowledge. Worst: Provide a reference based on the founders' reputation.
🛡️ Duty of Care
When a client's safety or wellbeing is at risk, this overrides the session agenda. Coaches respond to safety concerns — including mental health signals — before continuing with coaching goals.
Exam tell: A client mentions not wanting to be here anymore → Best: Acknowledge, ask directly about safety, provide resources. Worst: Continue the session as the client redirected to the original topic.
🤝 Client Autonomy
Coaches respect the client's right to determine their own path, make their own choices, and define what success means for them — even when the coach disagrees. Imposing the coach's values or direction violates this principle.
Exam tell: A client chooses a path the coach thinks is unwise → Best: Explore the client's own thinking and values. Worst: Challenge the decision because the coach knows better.
🎯 How Ethics is Tested on the Exam
Ethics appears as a standalone domain (13% of the exam) but also runs through every other competency. The exam tests application — scenarios that create real ethical tension where the tempting answer (help the client, share useful information, continue the session) conflicts with the ethical obligation. The best response almost always involves transparency, honesty, referral when needed, and staying within the coaching role.
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Full Length Exam · ICF ACC Format

Exam Instructions

Read carefully before you begin. You may skip when ready.

📋
Instructions
2 min
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📝
Section 1
30 Q · 39 min
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☕
Break
10 min
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📝
Section 2
30 Q · 39 min
About This Exam
  • →60 questions total across two sections of 30 items each, matching the ICF ACC exam structure.
  • →Multiple choice format — select the single most appropriate coaching response from four options. 1 point per question.
  • →Content distribution mirrors ICF guidelines: Coaching Ethics (30%), Definitions & Boundaries (30%), Coaching Competencies (40%).
  • →Scoring — scaled 200–600; passing score is 460.
During the Exam
  • →Flag questions you want to revisit using the 🚩 button and the question map.
  • →Never leave a question blank — there is no penalty for guessing.
  • →Section 1 and Section 2 each draw from all three content categories in proportion.
  • →Your score is not shown until both sections are submitted.
The Scheduled Break
  • →After submitting Section 1 you reach a 10-minute break screen with countdown timer.
  • →You may start Section 2 early by clicking "Start Section 2".
2:00suggested reading time
☕
Section 1 Complete
Take a proper break before Section 2.
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Section 1 Score
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Points Earned
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Accuracy
10:00
Break Remaining
✓ Instructions
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✓ Section 1
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☕ Break
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Section 2
Full Exam Complete
ICF ACC Full Length Exam · 60 Questions
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SCALED SCORE
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Passing: 460 · Range: 200–600
Section Scores
Breakdown by exam section
Section 1 · 30 Questions
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— / 30 pts
Section 2 · 30 Questions
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— / 30 pts
Content Category Breakdown
Performance across the three ACC exam content categories
Competency Breakdown
Your accuracy per ICF Core Competency
Question Review
Click any question to expand
📝 Section 1 — Questions 1–30
📝 Section 2 — Questions 31–60