What differentiates
Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3?
Learn what is the difference about the 3 Levels of training, the difference about the 3 Levels of ICF accreditation (ACC, PCC and MCC) and choose the right path for you.
The most important thing when you are about to invest in your education and in your profession is clarity. At SunLight Academy we know that and we do our best to offer you a simple approach, with clear details about the levels of coaching education, the type of certification and the credential paths you can access when you graduate with our Academy.
International Coaching Federation (ICF) has been innovating their current global accreditation model to set the highest standards for coach-specific education in the world. At SunLight Academy we have aligned our programs so that we enable coaches to find a clearer path to quality education to prepare for the nuance, complexity and sophistication of today’s coaching consumer.
Keep on reading and learn about the 3 different Levels of coaching education and choose the best one for your needs, your expectations and your vision for the career that you want to pursue.
Becoming a professional coach is not a single destination but a continuous journey of learning, practice, reflection and mastery.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has created a structured credentialing pathway that recognizes three progressive levels of coaching education and professional development:
- Level 1 → Pathway to the ACC (Associate Certified Coach) Credential
- Level 2 → Pathway to the PCC (Professional Certified Coach) Credential
- Level 3 → Pathway to the MCC (Master Certified Coach) Credential
Each level represents a different stage of professional maturity, coaching experience and depth of mastery.
The difference between these three levels is not simply the number of training hours completed. The real distinction lies in:
- the depth of coaching competence developed;
- the ability to facilitate increasingly complex transformational conversations;
- the level of presence, awareness and partnership demonstrated with clients;
- the professional experience required;
- the level of mastery expected according to ICF standards.
At SunLight Academy, we have designed our educational pathway to accompany coaches from the foundational level to the highest level of coaching mastery, aligned with the ICF credentialing structure.
The ICF Credentialing Journey: From Foundation to Mastery
The three ICF credentials represent three different stages of professional evolution:
Training Level |
ICF Credential Pathway |
Main Purpose |
Professional Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 |
ACC – Associate Certified Coach |
Build the foundations of professional coaching |
Beginning Professional Coach |
Level 2 |
PCC – Professional Certified Coach |
Develop advanced coaching competence and professional practice |
Experienced Professional Coach |
Level 3 |
MCC – Master Certified Coach |
Achieve the highest level of coaching mastery |
Master Coach |
The journey can be understood as an evolution:
Level 1: Learning the foundations of coaching
↓
Level 2: Mastering professional coaching practice
↓
Level 3: Embodying coaching mastery
Level 1
Pathway to the ACC Credential
Building the Foundations of Professional Coaching
Level 1 represents the first step into the professional coaching world.
It is designed for individuals who want to develop a strong foundation in coaching, understand the ICF Core Competencies, learn ethical coaching practices and begin developing their identity as professional coaches.
According to ICF requirements, the ACC pathway requires completion of at least 60 hours of coach-specific education, together with coaching experience, mentor coaching and successful completion of the ICF assessment process.
Who is Level 1 for?
Level 1 is ideal for:
- Individuals who are new to coaching.
- Professionals who want to integrate coaching skills into their current role.
- Leaders, managers and HR professionals who want to develop coaching capabilities.
- People who want to explore coaching as a possible professional career.
- Future coaches who want to begin their ICF credentialing journey.
To apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential, the applicant is required to
- have completed at least 60 hours of coach-specific education (Level 1)
- a minimum of 100 hours of client coaching experience
- 10 hours of mentor coaching over a minimum of three months
- must pass a performance assessment of their coaching and a computer-based written exam (CKA) delivered by ICF Credentials and Standards.
Level 1 with SunLight Academy offers 60 hrs of training, and is designated as ACC Accredited Education. Graduates from a Level 1 education and training programs may apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential using the Level 1 application path if they meet the credentialing application.
What you develop in Level 1
During Level 1, participants develop:
- The Coaching Mindset
You learn:
- What coaching truly is.
- The difference between coaching, mentoring, consulting and training.
- The role and responsibility of a professional coach.
- The importance of ethics and professional boundaries.
- The ICF Core Competencies Foundations
You begin developing the ability to:
- Establish trust and safety.
- Create powerful coaching agreements.
- Listen actively.
- Ask meaningful questions.
- Support client awareness.
- Facilitate client growth and action.
- Fundamental Coaching Skills
You practice:
- Active listening.
- Powerful questioning.
- Creating awareness.
- Supporting client autonomy.
- Designing actions and accountability.
The SunLight Academy Level 1 program includes:
- 60 student contact hours
- Estimated completion time: 6–10 months
- 5 observed coaching sessions
- Written feedback on coaching performance
- 80% synchronous / 20% asynchronous learning
- 10 hours of Mentor Coaching at ACC level
- Oral performance evaluation
- Final written coach knowledge evaluation
Upon completion, graduates receive the ICF-accredited Level 1 education certificate and can apply for the ACC Credential when they fulfill the remaining ICF requirements.
Level 2
Pathway to the PCC Credential
Developing the Professional Coach
Level 2 represents a significant transition.
The coach moves from learning the foundations of coaching to developing professional-level competence.
The objective is not only to know coaching techniques but to consistently demonstrate coaching mastery at a professional level.
The PCC credential requires a deeper level of education and experience, including approximately 125+ hours of coach-specific education, coaching experience, mentor coaching and successful completion of ICF requirements.
To apply for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Credential, the applicant is required
- to have completed at least 125 hours of coach-specific education (Level 2)
- a minimum of 500 hours of client coaching experience
- 10 hours of mentor coaching over a minimum of three months
- must pass a performance assessment of their coaching and a computer-based written exam (CKA) delivered by ICF Credentials and Standards.
Level 2 with SunLight Academy offers 130 hrs of training, and is designated as PCC Accredited Education. Graduates from a Level 2 education and training programs may apply for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Credential using the Level 2 application path if they meet the credentialing application.
A Key Difference at SunLight Academy: Level 2 Already Includes Level 1
At SunLight Academy, we have designed our pathway to make the learning journey simpler and more comprehensive.
When a participant enrolls directly into:
Level 2 – Pathway to the PCC Credential the entire Level 1 pathway is already included.
This means:
- You do not need to complete Level 1 separately.
- Your education journey begins with the foundations and continues seamlessly toward PCC-level mastery.
- You receive a complete professional coaching education pathway.
Level 2 is therefore the ideal choice for those who already know they want to become professional coaches and aim directly toward the PCC Credential.
What if I start with Level 1 and later want to continue to Level 2?
This is absolutely possible.
Many coaches prefer to begin with Level 1 because they want to:
- Experience coaching education first.
- Develop confidence before making a longer-term commitment.
- Discover whether coaching is their professional path.
After completing Level 1, participants who decide to continue their development can progress to: Level 2 – Pathway to the PCC Credential
Their journey continues naturally toward the next professional stage.
The learning pathway is therefore flexible:
Level 1 → ACC Pathway → Level 2 → PCC Pathway
or
Direct Entry → Level 2 → PCC Pathway
Who is Level 2 for?
Level 2 is designed for:
- Individuals committed to becoming professional coaches.
- Coaches who want to build a coaching practice.
- Executive, leadership and business coaches.
- Professionals who want deeper mastery of coaching conversations.
- Coaches who want to pursue the PCC Credential.
What you develop in Level 2
At PCC level, coaches develop the ability to:
Move beyond techniques into true coaching partnership
The coach learns to:
- Create deeper trust and psychological safety.
- Work with the client’s complete experience.
- Support transformational insights.
- Facilitate sustainable change.
- Recognize deeper patterns and perspectives.
- Demonstrate consistent coaching presence.
Develop professional coaching excellence
Participants deepen:
- Listening skills.
- Intuition and awareness.
- Emotional intelligence.
- Ability to work with complexity.
- Capacity to support profound client transformation.
SunLight Academy Level 2 – Pathway to PCC
The SunLight Academy Level 2 program includes:
- 130 student contact hours
- Estimated completion time: 12–18 months
- Advanced coaching development
- Observed coaching sessions
- Written feedback
- 80% synchronous / 20% asynchronous learning
- 10 hours of Mentor Coaching at PCC level
- Oral performance evaluation
- Written knowledge evaluation
Level 3
Pathway to the MCC Credential
The Journey Toward Coaching Mastery
Level 3 represents the highest level of ICF coaching education.
The MCC credential is not simply about knowing more techniques.
It represents the ability to embody coaching mastery.
An MCC coach demonstrates:
- Exceptional coaching presence.
- Deep trust in the client’s wisdom.
- Sophisticated listening.
- Ability to work with complexity.
- Masterful partnership.
To apply for the Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential, ICF requires:
- 200 hours of coach-specific education or training (Level 3)
- 10 hours of Mentor Coaching over a minimum of three months. Your Mentor Coach must hold an MCC Credential in good standing. Mentor Coaching hours submitted with an MCC Credential application cannot be the same Mentor Coaching hours applied toward a previous application for the ACC or PCC
- A minimum of 2,500 hours (2,250 paid) of coaching experience with at least 35 clients, following the start of your coach-specific education or training.
- Performance evaluation (two audio recordings and written transcripts of coaching sessions to be uploaded with your application).
- Currently holds (or previously held) a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Credential.
- Complete the ICF Credentialing Exam
Who is Level 3 for?
Level 3 is designed for:
- Experienced PCC coaches.
- Professional coaches seeking the highest level of recognition.
- Coaches who want to refine their mastery.
- Coaches interested in mentoring, supervising or training future coaches.
At SunLight Academy, participants entering Level 3 must already hold an active PCC Credential, as MCC preparation represents an advanced professional stage.
What makes Level 3 different?
At MCC level, the focus shifts from: “What coaching skill should I apply?”
to: “How can I embody the essence of coaching in every interaction?”
The coach develops:
Mastery of Presence
The ability to:
- Remain fully present.
- Trust the coaching process.
- Create profound partnership.
- Allow the client’s wisdom to emerge.
Mastery of Awareness
The ability to:
- Notice subtle shifts.
- Recognize deeper meaning.
- Work with emotions, beliefs and perspectives.
- Facilitate transformational awareness.
Mastery of Partnership
The ability to:
- Co-create the conversation.
- Honor the client’s autonomy.
- Support profound transformation.
SunLight Academy Level 3 – Pathway to MCC
The SunLight Academy Level 3 program includes:
- 80 student contact hours
- Estimated completion time: 9–12 months
- Advanced MCC-level coaching development
- Observed coaching sessions
- Written feedback
- Mentor Coaching
- MCC-level performance evaluation
- Final knowledge evaluation
See below the comparison of the three Levels of specific coaching education
SunLight Coaching
Certification
Level 1 - Pathway to the ACC Credential
-
to get the basic foundation of coaching
-
60 student contact hours
-
estimated completion time 6-10 months
-
5 observed coaching sessions
-
written feedback for 3 of the sessions
-
80% synch / 20% asynch hours
-
10 hours of Mentor Coaching at ACC level
-
oral exam: performance evaluation of a coaching session graded at or above the ACC level
-
final written coach knowledge evaluation
-
Level 1 (former ACSTH) certificate
SunLight Coaching
Diploma
Level 2 - Pathway to the PCC Credential
-
to become a Professional Coach
-
130 student contact hours
-
estimated completion time 12-18 months
-
6 Observed Coaching Sessions
-
written feedback for 4 of the sessions
-
80% synch / 20% asynch hours
-
10 hours of Mentor Coaching at PCC level
-
oral exam: performance evaluation of a coaching session graded at or above the PCC level
-
final written coach knowledge evaluation
-
Level 2 (former ACTP) certificate
The Art of Coaching
Master Degree
Level 3 - Pathway to the MCC Credential
-
from PCC to become a Master Certified Coach
-
80 student contact hours
-
estimated completion time 9-12 months
-
5 observed coaching sessions
-
written feedback for 3 of the sessions
-
80% synch / 20% asynch hours
-
10 hours of Mentor Coaching
-
oral exam: performance evaluation of a coaching session graded at or above the MCC level
-
final written coach knowledge evaluation
-
Level 3 certificate
Which Level Should You Choose?
Choose Level 1 if:
You want to:
✓ Start your coaching journey
✓ Build strong foundations
✓ Explore coaching professionally
✓ Develop coaching skills for leadership or personal growth
Choose Level 2 if:
You want to:
✓ Become a professional coach
✓ Build your coaching career
✓ Work with clients professionally
✓ Progress toward PCC
✓ Have Level 1 already included in your pathway
Choose Level 3 if:
You want to:
✓ Reach the highest ICF credential level
✓ Develop MCC-level mastery
✓ Refine your coaching presence
✓ Become an example of coaching excellence
The SunLight Academy Coaching Journey
At SunLight Academy, we believe coaching development is a lifelong journey.
Our pathway allows you to grow step by step:
Level 1 – Discover Coaching
↓
Level 2 – Become a Professional Coach
↓
Level 3 – Achieve Coaching Mastery
Each level represents not only a higher credential but a deeper transformation in who you become as a coach.
Because great coaches are not simply trained.
They are continuously developed, challenged, and transformed through practice, reflection and commitment to excellence.