The short answer
Level 1 programs provide 60–124 hours of coach-specific education and prepare you for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. Level 2 programs provide 125–325 hours and prepare you for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential. Level 2 graduates can also apply for the ACC first, then upgrade to the PCC once they have enough coaching hours.
Choose Level 1 if you are testing whether coaching is for you, or adding coaching skills to an existing role. Choose Level 2 if you already know professional coaching is your career; it is usually the more efficient route to the PCC.
At Symbiosis Coaching you don't start by choosing Level 1 or Level 2. Instead you first decide what kind of coaching you want to do, and based on your coaching goals, you choose your training programs. One program gets you to Level 1, two or more get you to Level 2, and the credentialing add-on costs are the same for Level 1 and Level 2.
Level 1 vs. Level 2 side by side
| ICF Level 1 | ICF Level 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Coach-specific education | 60–124 hours | 125–325 hours |
| Prepares you for | ACC (Associate Certified Coach) | PCC (Professional Certified Coach), and ACC along the way |
| Performance evaluation graded at | ACC level | PCC level |
| Mentor coaching | 10 hours, included with all Symbiosis Coaching Level 1 programs | 10 hours, included with all Symbiosis Coaching Level 2 programs |
| Coaching experience to apply | 100 hours, 75 of them paid. Symbiosis Credentium (included) gives you the ability to gain these. | 500 hours, 450 of them paid. Symbiosis Credentium (included) gives you the ability to gain these. |
| Program length | 3–6 months; Symbiosis Coaching runs 4–6 months | 6–12 months elsewhere; Symbiosis Coaching runs 6 months |
| Our tuition | $2,623.00 | Starting at $4,147.00 |
| Best for | New coaches testing the fit; managers, HR and consultants adding coaching skills | Career changers and practicing coaches committed to coaching professionally |
Requirements checked against the International Coaching Federation's credentialing standards in September 2026. ICF updates its requirements from time to time, so confirm current details with ICF before you apply.
What ICF Levels 1, 2, and 3 mean
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) doesn't train coaches itself. It accredits training providers at three levels, and each level exists to prepare you for one of ICF's individual credentials. So when you weigh Level 1 against Level 2, what you are really choosing is which credential to pursue: the ACC or the PCC.
Leads to the ACC
60–124 hours covering the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics at the Associate level.
Leads to the PCC
125–325 hours of deeper practice, with assessment at the Professional level.
Leads to the MCC
75+ hours of advanced education for experienced coaches pursuing Master Certified Coach.
Seeing "ACTP" or "ACSTH"? These are the labels ICF used before its Level system. They are no longer offered to new students, though coaches who already completed them can still use that training to apply for a credential. A program that only advertises ACTP or ACSTH may not have updated its accreditation.
Which level is right for you?
Start with Level 1 if
You are still deciding whether coaching will be your career, you want coaching skills for your current role, or you need a smaller upfront commitment of time and money.
Go straight to Level 2 if
You know you want to coach professionally and plan to reach the PCC. One Level 2 program covers the education for both the ACC and the PCC, so you avoid paying for two separate trainings.
Do Level 1, then Level 2 if
You want the PCC eventually but prefer to spread out the cost: earn your ACC, build client hours, then add Level 2 training when you're ready.
If your earlier coach training was not ICF-accredited, you will generally start at Level 1, or use ICF's separate Portfolio path.
How Symbiosis Coaching programs reach each level
Most schools sell you a level - Level 1 Level 2 - and leave it at that. You pick a credential tier (Level 1/Level 2), and no matter what you choose, the training and curriculum remain the same. We think that this is backwards. Level 1 and Level 2 decisions are credentialing decisions, and should come after you have chosen your training programs based on your coaching goals.
Our training programs are built around your coaching goals, so the sequence of program selection runs as follows:
Decide who you want to coach
Individuals on their personal lives, executives, whole organizations, or all three. This is a question about what kind of coach you want to be, and you can answer it without knowing anything about ICF levels.
Choose the core programs that match
Each core program is a coaching function rather than a credential tier, so you are choosing capability, not paperwork.
The credential level follows from what you chose
One core program gets you on the Level 1 and ACC pathway. Two or more programs give you 125+ hours, so get you on the Level 2 and PCC pathway. Nothing else about your choice changes, and the credentialing add-on costs are the same at either level.
| Core program | Accredited hours | Level reached |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Life Coach | 95 | Level 1 |
| Certified Organizational Development Coach | 95 | Level 1 |
| Certified Executive Coach | 70 | Level 1 |
| Certified NLP Coach | 65 | Level 1 |
| Any combination of the above four | 135–325 | Level 2 |
Any single core program clears ICF's 60-hour minimum, so it reaches Level 1 and the ACC. Combine any two and the hours pass 125, so the same choice reaches Level 2 and the PCC.
Four examples, each a Level 2 pathway completed in 6 months
Certified Life Coach 95 h + Certified Executive Coach 70 h = 165 hours 6 months
For someone who wants to coach individuals on their personal lives and work with executives. Both programs together reach Level 2 and the PCC pathway without Level 2 having been chosen as a separate track.
Certified Executive Coach 70 h + Certified Organizational Development Coach 95 h = 165 hours 6 months
For coaches working inside organizations: the leaders themselves, and the teams and structures around them.
Certified Life Coach 95 h + Certified Executive Coach 70 h + Certified Organizational Development Coach 95 h = 260 hours 6 months
The broadest route, spanning personal, executive and organizational coaching. It carries more than twice ICF's Level 2 minimum, and still finishes in the same 6 months.
All four core programs Life 95 h + Executive 70 h + OD 95 h + NLP 65 h = 325 hours 6 months
The full range, adding NLP technique to the three above. At 325 hours it is 2.6 times ICF's Level 2 minimum, in the same 6 months.
What those hours cost elsewhere
Every school below is ICF-accredited, so each pathway leads to the same ICF credential. What differs is how many accredited hours the tuition buys, and what the price includes.
Level 1, the ACC pathway
| Level 1 pathway | ICF hours | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Symbiosis Coaching, one core program | 65–95 | $2,623 |
| Coach Training Alliance | 60 | $3,949 |
| Erickson | 60 | $4,300 |
| Co-Active (CTI) | 60 | $5,770 |
| Coach U | 78 | $6,395 |
| iPEC | 160 | $9,995 |
At Level 1 the gap is narrower in dollars but still wide in hours: the lowest-priced alternative costs about $1,300 more for 60 hours, against 65–95 here. Coach Training Alliance and Coach U also sell mentor coaching or the performance evaluation separately, so their published price is not the full cost of reaching the ACC.
Level 2, the PCC pathway
| Level 2 pathway | ICF hours | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Symbiosis Coaching, two core programs | 135–190 | $4,147 |
| Symbiosis Coaching, three core programs | 230–260 | $5,671 |
| Symbiosis Coaching, all four core programs | 325 | $7,195 |
| Erickson | 125 | $8,300 |
| iPEC | 160 | $9,995 |
| Co-Active (CTI) | 156.5 | $12,470 |
| Coach U | 150 | $12,790 |
Put another way: all four Symbiosis Coaching programs together, 325 accredited hours, cost less than Erickson's 125-hour pathway and a little over half of Coach U's 150-hour one. Coach Training Alliance is absent because it offers no Level 2 pathway. Competitor tuition is taken from each school's own published pages and verified in August 2026; see the full comparison of six ICF-accredited schools, including what each price does and doesn't include.
Symbiosis Coaching add-on costs for Level 1 and Level 2 are identical
Whichever program combination you choose, the ICF Level 1/Level 2 pathway added on top of your core programs is the same price: $1,024. It covers all ACC/PCC prerequisites, including 10 hours of mentor coaching, performance evaluation and Credentium access for coaching hours.
At most of the schools above, stepping from Level 1 to Level 2 roughly doubles the tuition: Erickson goes from $4,300 to $8,300, Co-Active from $5,770 to $12,470, Coach U from $6,395 to $12,790.
From training to credential in five steps
Complete an ICF-accredited program
Level 1 for the ACC, Level 2 for the PCC. Accreditation matters more than length: a long program without ICF accreditation doesn't meet the education requirement.
Complete 10 hours of mentor coaching
Feedback on your coaching against the ICF Core Competencies from an eligible mentor. All 10 hours are included with every Symbiosis Coaching Level 1 and Level 2 program. Not every school includes them, so check before enrolling anywhere else.
Log your coaching hours
100 hours for the ACC, 500 for the PCC. Only hours logged after your coach training begins count, even if you have coached informally for years.
Pass your performance evaluation
A recorded coaching session assessed against ICF standards, completed as part of your accredited program. Access to coaching hours is included with Symbiosis Credentium
Apply and pass the ICF Credentialing Exam
Submit your application to ICF and take the exam on coaching competencies and ethics.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ICF Level 1 and Level 2?
ICF Level 1 programs provide 60–124 hours of coach-specific education and prepare you for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. ICF Level 2 programs provide 125+ hours and prepare you for the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential. Level 2 graduates can also apply for the ACC first.
Symbiosis Coaching Level 1 programs provide 65–95 hours. Symbiosis Level 2 programs provide between 135 hours and 325 hours based on chosen program combination.
Can I get my ACC with a Level 2 program?
Yes. Level 2 graduates can apply for the ACC once they reach 100 coaching hours, then apply for the PCC after reaching 500 hours, using the same training.
Is Level 2 worth it if I only plan to get my ACC?
Depends. If the ACC is your goal, or you are adding coaching to another role, a Level 1 program meets the requirement for less time and money. Level 2 pays off when PCC is part of your plan.
With Symbiosis Coaching, you first choose your training programs. And if you have chosen two or more programs, then you are able to add-on Level 2 for PCC for the exact same proces as what Level 1 would have cost. This is an advantage that Symbiosis Coaching offers.
How do I know whether a Symbiosis Coaching program is Level 1 or Level 2?
You start by deciding what you want to coach rather than which level you want, and the programs you choose determine the level. Any one core program (65–95 accredited hours) reaches Level 1 and the ACC. Any two combine past 125 hours and reach Level 2 and the PCC. For example, Certified Life Coach (95 hours) plus Certified Executive Coach (70 hours) is 165 hours, which is a Level 2 pathway. The credentialing add-on costs the same, $1,024, at either level.
How long does each ICF level take?
Level 1 programs typically run 3–6 months and Level 2 programs 6–12 months. Symbiosis Coaching Level 2 programs run 6 months. The credential itself takes longer, because you also need to log coaching hours: 100 for the ACC and 500 for the PCC.
What is the difference between ACTP and Level 2?
ACTP and ACSTH were ICF's older program labels. ICF replaced them with Levels 1, 2 and 3. If you completed an ACTP or ACSTH program in the past, you can still use it to apply for a credential.
Do coaching hours from before my training count?
No. ICF only counts coaching hours logged after your coach-specific training begins.
What if my coach training was not ICF-accredited?
You can still pursue a credential through ICF's Portfolio path, which requires documenting how your training aligns with ICF standards, plus a performance evaluation and the credentialing exam.
The portfolio path is tougher, longer, and carries more uncertainty than the Level 1 and Level 2 paths.
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