1. You are coaching a corporate client, and their manager asks you for an update on what was discussed during the sessions. What should you do?
2. You are coaching a client who has recently started therapy. They now want to explore traumatic events in both sessions. You feel uncertain about how to proceed. What is the most ethical action to take?
3. A client starts showing up late and missing sessions. The coaching agreement did not clearly specify a cancellation policy. What should you do?
4. During a coaching session, your client asks for help preparing a business proposal and says, “Can you just tell me what you would do?” How should you respond?
5. You’re coaching a client who refers you to their partner for coaching as well. What should you do before accepting?
6. During a session, your client expresses discomfort with your use of gendered language. What is the most ethical and professional response?
7. You receive a message from a prospective client offering you double your rate if you guarantee a specific result. What should you do?
8. A client discloses information that suggests potential harm to themselves or others. What should a coach do?
9. What is the primary purpose of a coaching agreement?
10. During a coaching session, the client requests to discuss a topic outside the agreed-upon focus. What should the coach do?
11. You are coaching a team within an organization. During a group session, one member shares something personal and asks you not to tell anyone else — including other team members. What is the best course of action?
12. A client expresses vulnerability by sharing a deeply personal issue. What should the coach do to maintain trust?
13. What is an example of active listening?
14. A long-term client has become overly dependent on your support and begins texting you daily for help between sessions. You feel it’s starting to impact your objectivity. What is the most ethical next step?
15. The client says, 'I'm overwhelmed with my workload.' What is an effective active listening response?
16. You’re asked to coach your cousin as part of your practicum hours. You feel emotionally invested in their success. What's the most ethical course of action?
17. What does 'coaching presence' refer to?
18. Which of the following best reflects ethical coaching behavior?
19. During a session, the coach feels distracted by personal concerns. What should the coach do to maintain effective coaching presence?
20. How does a coach create psychological safety?
21. You find yourself getting frustrated when a client doesn’t follow through on action steps. What’s the most aligned response with a coaching mindset?
22. Your client wants to talk about career goals, but the manager (in a 3-way agreement) expects focus on leadership development. What should the coach do?
23. What does it mean to “embody a coaching mindset”?
24. A client hesitates to speak freely due to cultural differences in authority relationships. What should the coach do?
25. Client: “I don’t know what I want next in life.” Which response best evokes awareness?
26. Why is a coaching agreement important at the start of a relationship?
27. According to the ICF, coaching is primarily a process of:
28. What does maintaining presence mean in a coaching session?
29. Which of the following is a key part of active listening?
30. Your client says: “I guess I’m just not leadership material.” Which coach response reflects active listening?
31. A client suddenly becomes emotional in a session. What’s the best coaching response?
32. Evoking awareness means:
33. A coach helps facilitate growth by:
34. At the end of a session, your client gains new insight but seems unsure how to apply it. What do you do?
35. Which of the following best aligns with ICF’s definition of coaching?
36. Which behavior best demonstrates active listening in coaching?
37. Your client says, “I want to start something new, but I don’t know what.” You say:
38. How should a coach handle a situation where a client's issues of inadequacy and self-doubt are tied to past trauma and unresolved emotional struggles?
39. One of the behavior indicators of the competency Establishes and Maintains Agreements is:
40. Mid-session, the client veers off-topic from the agreed session focus. What behavior best aligns with ICF competencies?
41. Which coach response demonstrates the “evokes awareness” competency?
42. Your client realizes their pattern of procrastination is tied to fear of failure. What coaching behavior aligns best with the competency?
43. A behavior indicator of facilitates client's growth is:
44. At the end of a session, your client says: “This was helpful.” What’s the most aligned response?
45. Your client is also your longtime friend. They want to begin formal coaching with you. According to ICF’s ethical standards, what should you do?
46. You’re coaching a client within a company. Midway through the engagement, their manager asks you to provide details about what’s been discussed in sessions. The coaching agreement did not explicitly clarify reporting boundaries. What should you do?
47. Your client wants to pursue a business venture that contradicts your personal values. You're finding it hard to remain neutral. What’s the most ethically aligned action?
48. What is the best approach for a coach when a client reveals deep feelings of anxiety and recurring panic attacks attributed to unresolved childhood trauma?
49. During a session, your client reveals past trauma that continues to impact their behavior. They want to process the emotional pain in your coaching sessions. What should you do?
50. You’re hired by a company to coach a team leader. The sponsoring manager pressures you to steer the client toward a promotion. The client, however, privately expresses reluctance and conflicting personal values. Which Core Competency is most relevant to resolving this situation ethically?
51. A parent has hired you to coach their 19-year-old daughter, who is struggling with motivation. The parent frequently emails you asking for updates. Your client has asked that her sessions remain private. What is the most ethical course of action?
52. During coaching, a client discloses that they are covering up a compliance violation at work that may lead to financial harm for others. They ask you to keep it between the two of you. What’s your ethical obligation?
53. You're an experienced career coach. A client begins seeking deep emotional healing and often asks you to interpret their dreams and analyze childhood trauma. You feel increasingly out of your depth but don't want to lose the client. What’s the best next step?
54. You’re nearing the end of a coaching session with a client and realize you’ve encountered a challenging ethical dilemma about maintaining boundaries. You feel uncertain if you handled the situation appropriately and are unsure how to proceed with the client. What is the best next step to address a challenging ethical dilemma about maintaining boundaries with a client?
55. During a session, a client breaks down and shares that they’ve been having suicidal thoughts. They say they’re not in immediate danger, but just needed to “get it off their chest.” Which Core Competency is being applied when the coach pauses, expresses care, and explores referring the client to appropriate support?
56. A client says, “You probably don’t get how hard this is.” You feel tempted to share your personal story to show empathy and build connection. Which Core Competency would guide the coach to stay focused on the client’s experience and create trust without shifting focus?
57. You realize halfway through a coaching relationship that the client is using coaching to manipulate perceptions at work, not to grow authentically. You feel uneasy and unsure whether to continue. Which Core Competency is demonstrated when the coach reflects on their reaction, seeks supervision, and revisits the coaching agreement?
58. During a group coaching session, a participant shares something vulnerable. Later, another group member posts about it vaguely online, causing the client embarrassment. You hadn’t clearly addressed confidentiality expectations with the group beforehand. Which Core Competency should have guided the coach to co-create ground rules about confidentiality in advance?
59. You’re coaching a client who is also your direct report at work. The client has shared personal challenges that might affect their professional performance. You’re unsure how much to disclose to your supervisor, as there is no explicit agreement about the scope of information that can be shared between coaching and your managerial role. What’s the best action for you to take?
60. Your client regularly references spiritual beliefs you don’t relate to. You notice yourself subtly dismissing their worldview and becoming less curious in your questioning. Which Core Competency is demonstrated when the coach reflects on their bias and seeks ways to coach more inclusively?
