ICF credentialing
ICF Performance Evaluation and Retake Costs
By Gary Malcolm, Master Certified Coach (ICF) · Updated 1 September 2026
Key takeaways
- The visible cost of failing an ICF performance evaluation is $150 per recording, non-refundable; a two-recording PCC or MCC failure is up to $300.
- The larger cost is time: 6 to 8 weeks waiting for the result, weeks working out what went wrong from feedback that names competencies but not moments, and 6 to 8 more weeks on the retake. A single failure typically costs about three months.
- ACC and PCC portfolio candidates face a third cost: a failure near the 31 March 2027 deadline can close the recording pathway entirely.
- An independent pre-submission review with a verdict costs $49 to $99 per submission.
Failing an ICF performance evaluation costs $150 per recording in retake fees. It also costs time: about three months once both waits and the re-recording are counted. Until 31 March 2027 there is a third cost for ACC and PCC portfolio candidates: a late failure can close the recording pathway.
An example
A PCC candidate who submits in January 2027 and fails both recordings may have no time left to retake before the pathway closes. The route forward is then a mentoring engagement of at least three months under the new rules, with the application fee already paid.
Check your recording before you submit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the ICF performance evaluation cost?
The first evaluation is paid for through your credential application, whose fee depends on the credential and your membership status; ICF publishes the current schedule. The cost you can plan around is a retake or rescore: $150 per recording, not refunded.
How much does it cost to fail the ICF performance evaluation?
The retake fee is $150 per recording and is not refunded. An ACC failure costs $150; a PCC or MCC failure costs $150 to $300 depending on whether one or both recordings fell below standard. A rescore of the same recording also costs $150, refunded only if the outcome flips.
What is the time cost of failing?
Results take 6 to 8 weeks after assessor assignment, so a failure costs that wait, plus time to work out what went wrong and re-record, plus a second wait. A single failure typically takes about three months.
Are my application fees at risk too?
Application fees are paid when you apply and are not returned on a failed performance evaluation. Exact fees vary by credential and membership status. ICF publishes the current schedule.
What is the deadline cost for ACC and PCC candidates?
Recordings are accepted for ACC and PCC portfolio applications only through 31 March 2027. If a failed result arrives after that, your route becomes a mentoring engagement of at least three months with an MCS-credentialed mentor.
What does checking first cost?
Review My Submission is $49 (ACC), $79 (PCC) or $99 (MCC), with a Submit / Not Yet / Do Not Submit verdict reviewed by Gary Malcolm, MCC. If our expert review says Submit and ICF fails that recording, your next review is free.