Why choose a ICF Level 2 Accredited course?
If you are comparing The Life Coaching Academy’s ICF Level 2 course with an ICF Level 1 course, the biggest advantage is that Level 2 is designed to take you further professionally and provides a pathway toward the ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential, rather than stopping at the foundational ACC level.
The distinction is significant:
| ICF Level 1 | LCA ICF Level 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| ICF pathway | ACC | PCC |
| Education requirement | 60–124 hours | 125–175 hours |
| Training depth | Foundational | More comprehensive/advanced |
| Coaching skill level assessed | ACC level | PCC level |
| Mentor coaching | 10 hours | 10 hours |
| Observed coaching | Required | More extensive observation/feedback |
| Long-term progression | Can progress to PCC later | Can progress directly toward PCC |
| Best suited to | New/foundational coaches | People wanting a professional coaching career |
ICF itself describes Level 1 as foundational education leading toward the ACC, while Level 2 provides more comprehensive education and a pathway toward the PCC.
⭐ The biggest benefit: you don’t have to stop at ACC
A Level 1 course is a very good starting point if someone simply wants foundational coach training and intends to work toward ACC.
But if someone is serious about building a professional coaching career, Level 2 can make more sense because the education is delivered to the PCC skill level.
ICF states that graduates of an accredited Level 2 program may apply for the PCC credential, provided they also meet the required coaching-experience and other credential requirements.
🎓 More training and deeper coaching skills
ICF requires Level 2 programs to provide 125–175 hours of coach-specific education, compared with 60–124 hours for Level 1.
That extra education means students have more opportunity to develop skills such as:
- deeper questioning and listening
- stronger coaching presence
- working with more complex client situations
- applying the ICF Core Competencies at a higher level
- receiving more feedback on actual coaching
- developing greater confidence and professional competence
Level 2 also requires a final performance evaluation at the PCC minimum skill level, compared with the ACC level for Level 1.
🚀 Better for someone who wants coaching to be a career
I’d position it this way:
Level 1 = “I want to learn the foundations of coaching and work toward becoming an ACC coach.”
Level 2 = “I want comprehensive professional coach training and want to work toward becoming a PCC coach.”
Importantly, completing Level 2 doesn’t automatically make someone a PCC. The student still needs to satisfy ICF’s coaching experience, credential application and examination requirements.
One particularly strong selling point for LCA
LCA’s offering is particularly compelling because you’re combining the Nationally Recognised qualification/RTO pathway with ICF Level 2 education, rather than offering only an ICF-accredited coaching course.
Why do Level 1 when you can train at Level 2 from the beginning?
A student who knows they want coaching as a serious profession may prefer to undertake the more comprehensive Level 2 training rather than complete Level 1 and potentially need further education later to progress toward PCC.
See our Diploma of Coaching ICF LVL 2 course – ICF Accredited Coaching Courses & Training Programs Australia
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