What Questions Should I Ask an ICF Mentor Coach Before Hiring Them?
What Questions Should I Ask an ICF Mentor Coach Before Hiring Them?
Choosing an ICF mentor coach is about more than finding someone who is technically qualified.
You’re going to bring this person your actual coaching.
They may hear sessions you’re proud of — and sessions where you missed something, rushed, led the client, got stuck or simply weren’t sure what to do next.
So before hiring an ICF mentor coach for your ACC renewal, I would look at two things:
Are they qualified to provide the mentor coaching you need?
and
Are they the right person to help you develop?
Here are the questions I recommend asking.
Before You Interview Mentor Coaches: Ask Yourself These Questions First
Before asking a mentor coach anything, get clear on what you need.
It is much easier to assess fit when you know what you are looking for.
1. What do I want from mentor coaching besides completing my credential requirement?
You may need 10 mentor coaching hours for ACC renewal.
But three months from now, what else would make the investment worthwhile?
Maybe you want to:
stop leading clients so much
become more comfortable with silence
strengthen your agreements
get better at following what the client is actually offering
understand whether you’re beginning to coach at PCC level
become more confident in your coaching
identify habits you can’t see yourself
receive objective feedback on real sessions
Try to finish this sentence:
“At the end of mentor coaching, I want to be able to…”
That answer should influence who you hire.
2. How do I learn best?
Think about previous learning experiences that really worked for you.
Do you learn best when someone:
gives you direct feedback?
asks questions and lets you discover the answer?
shows you specific examples?
gives you written notes?
allows you time to reflect?
gives you one or two things to practise rather than ten?
creates a lot of structure?
gives you more freedom?
An excellent mentor coach may still be the wrong mentor coach for you if their approach doesn’t fit how you learn.
3. What feedback has stayed with me in the past — and why?
Think of feedback you received that actually changed something.
Why did it work?
Was it specific?
Was there evidence behind it?
Did the person challenge you without making you defensive?
Did they help you see something for yourself rather than simply telling you what was wrong?
That can tell you a lot about the kind of feedback you want from a mentor coach.
4. How direct do I want my mentor coach to be?
There is no correct answer.
Some coaches want:
“Tell me exactly what you see.”
Others learn better through reflection first.
You may want both.
What matters is knowing the kind of challenge that helps you grow rather than shut down.
5. How safe do I need to feel to bring my imperfect coaching?
This one matters.
You should not spend your mentor coaching engagement trying to find the “best” recording so your mentor thinks you are a good coach.
The recordings with messy moments are often the most useful ones.
Ask yourself:
What would I need from a mentor coach to feel comfortable bringing a session that did not go well?
6. Am I developing at ACC level, or is PCC my next goal?
Beginning January 1, 2027, the level of Mentor Coach Specialization matters.
If your goal is ACC-level development, an MCS-ACC can provide that mentoring.
If you’re renewing your ACC but already moving toward PCC, you may prefer PCC-level mentoring with an MCS-PCC.
read more here : MCS-ACC VS. MCS-PCC: WHICH MENTOR COACH DO I NEED FOR ACC RENEWAL IN 2027?
7. How much individualized feedback do I want?
Would you be happy learning primarily in a group and completing the required three private hours?
Or do you want someone following your specific coaching across several months?
Both are valid.
Knowing this beforehand will help you decide between 7 group + 3 private hours and a fully private engagement.
read more here: CAN I DO MY ACC RENEWAL MENTOR COACHING IN A GROUP?
1. Do You Hold the MCS I Need?
For mentor coaching received beginning January 1, 2027, ICF requires your mentor coach to hold a Mentor Coach Specialization at the appropriate level.
For ACC renewal, that may mean:
MCS-ACC for ACC-level mentoring
or
MCS-PCC if you want PCC-level mentoring.
Ask directly:
“Which MCS designation do you hold, and at what level would you be mentoring me?”
You can also verify a mentor through the ICF Mentor Coach Registry.
You can read more here about the process: HOW DO I FIND AN ICF MCS MENTOR COACH FOR ACC RENEWAL IN 2027?
2. How Much Experience Do You Have Mentor Coaching ACC Coaches?
Holding the correct credential tells you someone is eligible.
Experience tells you something different.
Ask:
“How many ACC coaches have you mentored?”
and:
“How much of your work is focused specifically on ACC renewal?”
Someone who regularly works with ACC renewal candidates is more likely to understand the questions that come up around:
the 10-hour requirement
CCE credits
timelines
group vs. individual hours
2027 MCS changes
recordings
and future PCC planning
3. How Do You Use Coaching Recordings?
This would be one of my highest-priority questions.
ICF defines mentor coaching as a collaborative developmental process involving feedback based on observed or recorded coaching.
Ask:
“Will you actually listen to my coaching?”
Then ask:
“How often?”
There is a big difference between talking generally about your coaching and examining what actually happened.
A recording lets you look at specific moments.
What did the client say?
What did you notice?
What did you miss?
Why did you ask that question?
What happened next?
That creates much richer development.
read more here : DO I NEED COACHING RECORDINGS FOR ACC RENEWAL IN 2027?
4. Do You Review My Recording Before Our Session?
This is an important practical question.
Ask:
“Do you listen to my recording before we meet, or do we listen during my paid mentor coaching hour?”
ICF’s current mentor coaching guidance describes the mentor coach reviewing observed or recorded coaching, identifying strengths and development areas, and preparing evidence-based feedback before the live one-to-one conversation. Time spent privately reviewing recordings does not count toward the mentee’s required mentor coaching hours.
In my own work, I review selected recordings before our session.
That means our live hour can focus on:
what happened
what you noticed
what I observed
what patterns may be emerging
and what you want to practise next
rather than spending your mentor coaching hour simply listening to the recording.
5. What Does Your Feedback Actually Look Like?
Ask:
“How do you deliver feedback after reviewing a recording?”
Listen carefully to the answer.
ICF’s Mentor Coaching Handbook says feedback should be clear, evidence-based, supportive, grounded in observable behaviour and provide actionable areas for growth.
Personally, I would want feedback to include:
What am I already doing well?
What evidence supports that?
What pattern are you noticing?
What is my biggest development opportunity?
What could I experiment with next?
I would be cautious about feedback that is mostly:
“You should have asked this.”
“You shouldn't have said that.”
“That was wrong.”
Good mentor coaching should help you develop your coaching, not teach you to copy your mentor.
6. How Will We Decide What I Need to Work On?
Ask:
“How do you determine my development priorities?”
ICF recommends that the mentor coach and mentee create an overall development plan together, including goals, developmental needs and measures of success.
That matters because you probably don’t need to improve everything at once.
You may have one or two patterns that, if strengthened, would create a significant shift in your coaching.
I would want my mentor coach to help me identify those priorities rather than overwhelm me with twenty pieces of feedback.
7. How Do You Track My Development Across the Engagement?
Mentor coaching happens over at least three months for a reason.
Ask:
“How will we know whether my coaching is actually changing?”
Good mentor coaching shouldn’t feel like 10 unrelated conversations.
You want the ability to notice:
Recording one: here is the pattern.
Recording two: something is shifting.
Recording three: you’re doing this much more consistently.
That is where ongoing mentor coaching becomes much more valuable than simply collecting hours.
8. What Happens Between Sessions?
Ask:
“What support or follow-up is included outside our live sessions?”
That might include:
written feedback
session documents
development goals
recordings of mentor coaching sessions
exercises
resources
communication between sessions
or nothing at all
None of these automatically make one package better.
You simply want to understand what you are buying.
This also makes pricing much easier to compare.
If you’re looking for information on pricing: HOW MUCH DOES ICF ACC RENEWAL MENTOR COACHING COST IN 2027?
9. What Exactly Is Included in Your Price?
Don't compare prices until you compare what is included.
Ask:
“What does my fee cover?”
For example:
Does the mentor coach spend an hour reviewing your coaching before your one-hour session?
Is written feedback included?
Are transcripts reviewed?
Do you receive resources?
Is communication between sessions included?
Is the program group or private?
Two mentor coaching packages can both include “10 hours” and still provide very different levels of service.
10. Are All 10 Hours Private?
ICF does not require all 10 mentor coaching hours to be individual.
ACC renewal requires:
10 total mentor coaching hours
over at least:
three months
with at least:
three one-to-one hours.
The remaining seven may be completed through qualifying group mentor coaching.
So ask:
“Are the 10 hours all private, or is this a combination of group and individual mentor coaching?”
Both models can work.
But make sure you know which one you are purchasing.
11. How Do You Keep Your Mentor Coaching Skills Current?
Beginning in 2027, the MCS creates a more consistent qualification standard for mentor coaches.
The standard pathway requires substantial mentor-coach-specific education and applicable evaluation training such as ACC BARS or PCC Markers training.
You can still ask:
“How do you continue developing as a mentor coach?”
For example:
Do they participate in calibration?
Do they continue studying the ICF Core Competencies?
Do they mentor regularly?
Do they participate in professional-development communities?
A mentor coach should be developing too.
12. Can You Explain the Difference Between ACC-Level and PCC-Level Coaching?
Even if you only need ACC renewal, this question tells you a lot.
Ask:
“What differences do you see between ACC-level and PCC-level coaching?”
You aren't looking for a rehearsed speech.
You’re listening for whether the mentor can clearly articulate skill development and recognize the difference between:
style
and
competency.
ICF's guidance specifically describes the mentor coach's role as discerning coaching skill levels and helping identify the gap between current skill and the next level.
If PCC may be in your future, this becomes even more important.
13. Can I Speak With a Previous Mentor Coaching Client?
I think this is entirely reasonable.
Ask:
“Would you be willing to provide a reference from someone you've mentor coached?”
You might ask that person:
What was the feedback like?
How much preparation did the mentor do?
Did you feel comfortable bringing imperfect coaching?
Were you challenged?
Did you actually notice a change in your coaching?
Did you feel the investment was worthwhile?
I’m happy to provide references to coaches who are seriously considering working with me.
You shouldn’t have to rely solely on what I say about my own service.
14. What Happens If We Realize We're Not a Good Fit?
Ask before you sign anything.
“What happens if either of us realizes this relationship isn't working?”
Look at:
cancellation terms
payment commitments
rescheduling policies
confidentiality
recording permissions
and how termination of the engagement works
ICF guidance specifically expects mentor coaching agreements to clarify logistics, fees, scheduling, duration, termination and confidentiality.
A professional relationship should have clear agreements.
After the Interview, Ask Yourself These Five Questions
Once you've spoken with a mentor coach, stop evaluating their résumé for a moment.
Ask yourself:
Did they answer my questions directly?
You shouldn't leave more confused than when you arrived.
Did I feel like there was room for me in the conversation?
Or did most of the call feel like a sales pitch?
Would I feel comfortable sending this person a recording that didn't go well?
This may be the most important question on the list.
Did their feedback philosophy match how I learn?
Think back to your self-reflection questions.
Can I imagine learning from this person for the next several months?
You don't need to find someone exactly like you.
In fact, difference can be useful.
But you should be able to imagine creating a strong learning partnership.
Red Flags When Choosing an ICF Mentor Coach
I would pause if a potential mentor coach:
cannot clearly explain their ICF/MCS qualifications
guarantees that you will earn or pass a credential
rarely or never works with observed coaching
cannot explain how they provide competency-based feedback
confuses mentor coaching with business coaching or general life coaching
is vague about what is included in the price
discourages you from asking questions
gives the impression there is only one “correct” coaching style
focuses entirely on your weaknesses
or makes you feel like you need to perform for them
MCS status is an important qualification.
It is not the only thing that determines whether someone is the right mentor for you.
The Best Question May Be: What Do I Want These 10 Hours to Do for Me?
You have to complete the mentor coaching requirement for ACC renewal anyway.
So before treating it as another box to check, ask:
What would make these 10 hours genuinely valuable?
Maybe you simply want to complete the requirement affordably.
That's valid.
Maybe you want to understand your coaching more deeply.
Maybe you want to prepare for PCC.
Maybe you want feedback from someone objective.
Maybe you want to become more confident bringing less of yourself and more of the client into the conversation.
Your answer should shape who you hire.
Questions to Ask an ICF Mentor Coach: Quick Checklist
Before hiring someone, ask:
Do you hold the appropriate MCS?
At what level will you mentor me?
How much experience do you have with ACC renewal coaches?
Will you review my actual coaching recordings?
Do you review recordings before our session?
What does your feedback process look like?
How will we decide what I need to develop?
How will you track my progress?
What happens between sessions?
What exactly does the fee include?
Are the 10 hours private, group or both?
How do you maintain your own mentor coaching skills?
Can you explain the difference between ACC- and PCC-level coaching?
Can I speak with a previous client?
What happens if we aren't a good fit?
You don't have to ask every mentor coach every question.
Choose the ones that matter most to you.
Looking for an ICF Mentor Coach for ACC Renewal?
I offer private ACC Renewal Mentor Coaching and hold the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization at both the ACC and PCC levels, along with my ICF PCC credential and PCC Marker Assessor training.
My full engagement includes 10 private 60-minute mentor coaching sessions completed over the required minimum three-month period.
My approach is built around your real coaching.
You send me recordings before selected sessions.
I review them ahead of time, organize competency-based feedback and bring that preparation into our conversation.
We look at what is already working, what patterns are emerging and what one or two developmental shifts could have the biggest impact on your coaching.
The current investment is:
$1,750 USD paid in full
or
4 monthly payments of $450 USD.
VIEW MY 10-HOUR ACC RENEWAL MENTOR COACHING PACKAGE
If you've already completed seven qualifying group hours and only need the three individual hours, I also offer a:
3-Hour Private Mentor Coaching Package
VIEW MY 3-HOUR PRIVATE MENTOR COACHING PACKAGE
And if you want to speak to someone I've previously mentor coached before making your decision, ask me for references. I'm happy to provide them.
If you'd like to see whether we're a good fit:
This article reflects International Coaching Federation guidance available as of November 2026. Beginning January 1, 2027, new mentor coaching used toward ICF credential applications and ACC renewal must be provided by an appropriately qualified Mentor Coach Specialization holder. Always confirm current requirements directly with ICF.