Master ICF-ACC Exam with Reliable Practice Questions

Correct : B

ICF Competency 3 ('Establishes and Maintains Agreements') requires a formal agreement before coaching begins, outlining roles, responsibilities, and logistics (ICF Code of Ethics, Section 1.1). This step follows mutual interest and precedes coaching. Let's analyze:

A . Begin the coaching process: Starting without an agreement violates ICF ethics and competency standards.

B . Draft a coaching agreement: This is the next step, ensuring clarity and consent, especially with a third-party (company) involved (ICF Code of Ethics, Section 1.2).

C . Identify the company's goals: This may inform the process but follows agreement drafting, which focuses on the client's goals (Competency 3).

D . Develop an evaluation plan: This occurs later, after goals are set (Competency 8).

Option B is the correct next step, per ICF's agreement requirements.

Correct : D

The ICF Code of Ethics (Section 2, 'Responsibility to Practice and Performance') includes obligations to maintain professional integrity, such as disclosing conflicts of interest (Section 3.2: 'I will disclose to my clients any conflict of interest'). Failing to do so violates this responsibility. Let's evaluate:

A . Providing coaching to some clients and consultation to others: This is permissible if roles are clear and agreed upon (ICF Code of Ethics, Section 1.2), not an ethical violation.

B . Breaking confidentiality when a client is threatening to harm themselves: This is allowed under Section 4.3 ('to prevent serious harm'), not a violation.

C . Meeting with a sponsor to discuss their role in the coaching process: This is ethical if disclosed in the agreement (Section 1.2), not a violation.

D . Failing to alert involved parties when there is a conflict of interest: This breaches Section 3.2, undermining the coach's responsibility to practice with transparency and integrity.

Option D reflects an ethical violation under 'Responsibility to Practice and Performance.'

Correct : C

ICF Competency 5 ('Cultivates Trust and Safety') requires a foundation of mutual respect and trust, which can be compromised by irreconcilable value conflicts. Referral may be appropriate if the coach cannot remain objective (ICF Code of Ethics, Section 2.5). Let's analyze:

A . The client feels stuck due to past emotional issues: This may warrant referral to therapy, not another coach, if it's outside coaching's scope (ICF Coaching Boundaries).

B . The client changes their goals after the first few sessions: This is normal and manageable within coaching (Competency 3), not requiring referral.

C . The coach and client realize they have conflicting value systems: Significant value clashes can hinder trust and impartiality (Competency 2), making referral to another coach the strongest case.

D . The client struggles to understand the coaching agreement: This can be addressed through clarification (Competency 3), not referral.

Option C presents the strongest case for referral to another coach, per ICF standards.

Correct : A

The ICF Code of Ethics organizes standards under headings like 'Responsibility to Clients' (Section 1). Confidentiality is explicitly addressed in Section 4 ('Confidentiality/Privacy'), which falls under this responsibility, ensuring client trust and autonomy. Let's assess:

A . Responsibility to clients: Section 4.1 requires coaches to 'maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality,' directly tying this to client responsibility.

B . Responsibility to society: This (Section 5) focuses on broader impact, not confidentiality.

C . Responsibility to professionalism: This (Section 3) addresses conflicts of interest, not privacy.

D . Responsibility: This is incomplete; ICF uses specific categories, and confidentiality aligns with clients.

Option A is the ethical standard honored, per ICF's structure.

Correct : A

The ICF Code of Ethics (Section 3.1) defines a conflict of interest as a situation where a coach's 'personal interest appears to influence the objective exercise of their professional duties.' Ownership creates a personal stake that could bias coaching. Let's evaluate:

A . Providing coaching services to employees at a company the coach owns: This is a conflict, as the coach's business interests may conflict with employee needs (Section 3.2 requires disclosure).

B . Providing coaching to part of an organization rather than coaching across the entire organization: This is a scope decision, not a conflict of interest.

C . Encouraging the interests of a department over the interests of the entire company: This may be unethical but isn't a personal conflict of interest for the coach.

D . Putting a client's interests ahead of the coach's own business interests: This aligns with ethics, not a conflict (Section 1).

Option A is a conflict of interest, per ICF's definition.