The Board Certified Coach (BCC) credential is a mark of distinction for credential holders and a source of credibility for their clients. BCCs have met professional coaching competency standards established by the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) and subject matter experts (SMEs).

Coaching is a diverse field and a BCC credential can be obtained by individuals in any professional field as long as they satisfy CCE’s requirements. Through a gap analysis, SMEs revealed that while there is a significant crossover in counseling and coaching competencies, coach-specific training bridges the gap between the differences in coaching and counseling competencies.  National Certified Counselors (NCCs) and fully state-licensed counselors wishing to earn the BCC should plan to obtain such training.

The Board Certified Coach Examination (BCCE) fulfills the examination requirement for the BCC. It validates a candidate's coaching knowledge by covering four competency areas: Ethics and Regulatory Guidelines, Coaching Knowledge and Applications, Assessment, and Practice Management.

“Through evaluation of the various roles, responsibilities, and associated skills needed by coaches, our Assessments team derives an understanding of the essential competencies necessary for successful coaching engagements with clients,” says Unber Ahmad, Director of Assessments at CCE.

The BCCE is created from the consensus of SMEs and information gathered from coaching professionals through CCE’s nationwide job analysis survey. This survey helps us understand the practice of coaching services, and the data collected is used in the development of, and ongoing amendments to, the BCCE.

“By aligning the content of the BCCE with the intricacies of job functions, we not only enhance the credibility of the BCC, but also contribute to the overall professional development and standardization of coaching,” continues Ahmad. “Job analysis guarantees that the BCCE not only upholds the highest standards of validity and reliability, but also remains true to the dynamic nature of the evolving field of coaching.”

The BCCE job analysis, which was developed by a group of SMEs who are BCCs, is accessed online. Completion takes 15–30 minutes and can be done in multiple sessions. All survey responses are kept confidential, and only aggregated data is published.

“Job analysis stands as the cornerstone of constructing effective and valid certification exams,” states Ahmad. “This critical process ensures that the BCCE accurately reflects the real-world demands of coaching, fostering a valid and reliable assessment of an individual's qualifications.”

If you are a professional coaching provider, this is an opportunity to make a profound difference in the future of the professional coaching field. Furthermore, all participants earn three continuing education hours toward their BCC recertification. We invite you to complete the survey here.