The two exams side by side
PCC and MCC candidates take the same credentialing exam, and ICF is changing it. The current ICF Credentialing Exam has 78 situational judgment items in 180 minutes, including an optional 10-minute break, and tests the 2019 Core Competencies and the 2020 Code of Ethics. You pick the best and the worst of four actions in each scenario. It is scored from 200 to 600, with 460 to pass. The new PCC-MCC Exam has 80 items in 150 minutes, including an optional 10-minute break: 44 situational judgment items plus 36 knowledge-based multiple choice questions with one correct answer. It tests the 2025 Core Competencies and Code of Ethics. ICF says the difficulty and expected passing standard match the current exam, but it has not yet published scoring details for the new exam.
The transition dates
The new PCC-MCC Exam launches on November 10, 2026. From that date until March 31, 2027, both exams are available and you may choose either one. From April 1, 2027, only the PCC-MCC Exam is offered. Both exams lead to the same PCC or MCC credential, so the choice is about fit, not about a better credential. ICF announced the change on July 17, 2026, and its own exam pages and candidate guide remain the authority if policies change.
Which exam should you take?
Use the tool above. The rule of thumb: if you prepared on the 2019 standards and can test before the end of March 2027 with time left for a retake, the current exam is a sound choice, because it matches what you studied and its scoring is published. If you are starting preparation now, or you expect to test in 2027, prepare for the PCC-MCC Exam, because it is the only option from April 1, 2027, and its knowledge questions reward direct study of the 2025 standards. If your planned date falls before November 10, 2026, only the current exam is available. If it falls after March 31, 2027, only the new exam is available, whatever you studied.
What the new exam tests
Both exams cover the same four domains of the ICF competency model: Foundation, Co-Creating the Relationship, Communicating Effectively, and Cultivating Learning and Growth. The new exam runs in four sections: 18 knowledge-based questions, 22 situational judgment questions, an optional break, then 18 knowledge-based and 22 situational judgment questions. Because the knowledge questions are more direct than scenarios, the new exam involves less reading than the current format. Existing preparation materials still serve candidates well, according to ICF, but check anything that teaches the old format: guides for the retired Coach Knowledge Assessment teach a format ICF no longer administers.
What about the ACC exam?
Nothing in this change affects ACC candidates. ACC candidates take a separate ACC Exam of 60 items in 90 minutes, and ICF has announced no change to it. MCC candidates must already hold or have previously held the PCC credential: there is no shortcut from ACC to MCC, and PCC and MCC candidates sit the same exam described on this page.