ICF CKA Exam Prep

Question 1

Definition: Coaching

Answer 1

Partnering with clients
thought-provoking + creative process
inspires to maximize
personal and professional potential

Question 2

4 clusters of Core Competencies

Answer 2

A. Setting a foundation
B. Co-creating the relationship
C. Communicating Effectively
D. Facilitating learning and results

Question 3

2 CCs - Setting the Foundation

Answer 3

1. Meeting Ethical Guidelines + Professional Standards
2. Establishing the Coaching Agreement

Question 4

2 CCs - Co-creating the Relationship

Answer 4

3. Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client
4. Coaching Presence

Question 5

3 CCs - Communicating Effectively

Answer 5

5. Active Listening
6. Powerful Questioning
7. Direct Communication

Question 6

4 CCs - Facilitating Learning and Results

Answer 6

8. Creating Awareness
9. Designing Actions
10. Planning and Goal Setting
11. Managing Progress and Accountability

Question 7

Definition: Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards

Answer 7

understanding of coaching ethics and standards
ability to apply them appropriately in all coaching situations.

Question 8

4 pointers: Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards

Answer 8

1. Understands and exhibits in own behaviors the ICF Code of Ethics
2. Understands and follows all ICF Ethical Guidelines
3. Clearly communicates the distinctions between coaching, consulting, psychotherapy and other support professions.
4. Refers client to another support professional as needed, knowing when this is needed and the available resources.

Question 9

Setting the Foundation: Establishing the Coaching Agreement (define)

Answer 9

to understand what is required in the specific coaching interaction
to come to agreement with the prospective and new client about the coaching process and relationship.

Question 10

3 pointers: Establishing the Coaching Agreement

Answer 10

1. Understand and effectively discuss with the client the guidelines and specific parameters of the coaching relationship (e.g., logistics, fees, scheduling, inclusion of others if appropriate).
2. Reach agreement about what is (not) appropriate in the relationship, what is (not) being offered, and about the client’s and coach’s responsibilities.
3. Determine whether there is an effective match between coaching method and the needs of the prospective client.

Question 11

Definition: Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client

Answer 11

to create a safe, supportive environment that produces ongoing mutual respect and trust.

Question 12

6 pointers: Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client

Answer 12

1. Show genuine concern for the client’s welfare and future.
2. Continuously demonstrate personal integrity, honesty and sincerity.
3. Establish clear agreements and keeps promises.
4. Demonstrate respect for client’s perceptions, learning style, personal being.
5. Provide ongoing support for and champion new behaviors and actions, including those involving risk-taking and fear of failure.
6. Ask permission to coach client in sensitive, new areas.

Question 13

Definition: Coaching Presence

Answer 13

to be fully conscious and create spontaneous relationship with the client
employing a style that is open, flexible and confident.

Question 14

7 pointers: Coaching Presence

Answer 14

1. Is present and flexible during the coaching process, dancing in the moment.
2. Accesses own intuition and trusts one’s inner knowing—”goes with the gut.”
3. Is open to not knowing and takes risks.
4. Sees many ways to work with the client and chooses in the moment what is most effective.
5. Uses humor effectively to create lightness and energy.
6. Confidently shifts perspectives and experiments with new possibilities for own action.
7. Demonstrates confidence in working with strong emotions and can self-manage and not be overpowered or enmeshed by client’s emotions.

Question 15

Definition: Active Listening

Answer 15

to focus completely on what the client is (not) saying
to understand the meaning of what is said in the context of the client’s desires
to support client self-expression.

Question 16

8 pointers: Active Listening

Answer 16

1. Attends to the client and the client’s agenda and not to the coach’s agenda for the client.
2. Hears the client’s concerns, goals, values and beliefs about what is (not) possible.
3. Distinguishes between the words, the tone of voice, and the body language.
4. Summarizes, paraphrases, reiterates, and mirrors back what client has said to ensure clarity and understanding.
5. Encourages, accepts, explores and reinforces the client’s expression of feelings, perceptions, concerns, beliefs, suggestions, etc.
6. Integrates and builds on client’s ideas and suggestions.
7. “Bottom-lines” or understands the essence of the client’s communication and helps the client get there rather than engaging in long, descriptive stories.
8. Allows the client to vent or “clear” the situation without judgment or attachment in order to move on to next steps.

Question 17

Definition: Powerful Questioning

Answer 17

to ask questions that reveal the information needed for maximum benefit to the coaching relationship and the client.

Question 18

4 pointers: Powerful Questioning

Answer 18

1. Asks questions that reflect active listening and an understanding of the client’s perspective.
2. Asks questions that evoke discovery, insight, commitment or action (e.g., those that challenge the client’s assumptions).
3. Asks open-ended questions that create greater clarity, possibility or new learning.
4. Asks questions that move the client toward what they desire, not questions that ask for the client to justify or look backward.

Question 19

Definition: Direct Communication

Answer 19

to communicate effectively during coaching sessions
to use language that has the greatest positive impact on the client.

Question 20

5 pointers: Direct Communication

Answer 20

1. Is clear, articulate and direct in sharing and providing feedback.
2. Reframes and articulates to help the client understand from another perspective what he/she wants or is uncertain about.
3. Clearly states coaching objectives, meeting agenda, and purpose of techniques or exercises.
4. Uses language appropriate and respectful to the client (e.g., non-sexist, non-racist, non-technical, non-jargon).
5. Uses metaphor and analogy to help to illustrate a point or paint a verbal picture.

Question 21

Definition: Creating Awareness

Answer 21

to integrate and accurately evaluate multiple sources of information
to make interpretations that help the client to gain awareness and thereby achieve agreed-upon results.

Question 22

9 pointers: Creating Awareness

Answer 22

1. Goes beyond what is said in assessing client’s concerns, not getting hooked by the client’s description.
2. Invokes inquiry for greater understanding, awareness, and clarity.
3. Identifies for the client his/her underlying concerns; typical and fixed ways of perceiving himself/herself and the world; differences between the facts and the interpretation; and disparities between thoughts, feelings, and action.
4. Helps clients to discover for themselves the new thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, emotions, moods, etc. that strengthen their ability to take action and achieve what is important to them.
5. Communicates broader perspectives to clients and inspires commitment to shift their viewpoints and find new possibilities for action.
6. Helps clients to see the different, interrelated factors that affect them and their behaviors (e.g., thoughts, emotions, body, and background).
7. Expresses insights to clients in ways that are useful and meaningful for the client.
8. Identifies major strengths vs. major areas for learning and growth, and what is most important to address during coaching.
9. Asks the client to distinguish between trivial and significant issues, situational vs. recurring behaviors, when detecting a separation between what is being stated and what is being done.

Question 23

Definition: Designing Actions

Answer 23

to create with the client opportunities
for ongoing learning during coaching and in work/life situations,
for taking new actions that will most effectively lead to agreed-upon coaching results.

Question 24

9 pointers: Designing Actions

Answer 24

1. Brainstorms and assists the client to define actions that will enable the client to demonstrate, practice, and deepen new learning.
2. Helps the client to focus on and systematically explore specific concerns and opportunities that are central to agreed-upon coaching goals.
3. Engages the client to explore alternative ideas and solutions, to evaluate options, and to make related decisions.
4. Promotes active experimentation and self-discovery, where the client applies what has been discussed and learned during sessions immediately afterward in his/her work or life setting.
5. Celebrates client successes and capabilities for future growth.
6. Challenges client’s assumptions and perspectives to provoke new ideas and find new possibilities for action.
7. Advocates or brings forward points of view that are aligned with client goals and, without attachment, engages the client to consider them.
8. Helps the client “Do It Now” during the coaching session, providing immediate support.
9. Encourages stretches and challenges but also a comfortable pace of learning.

Question 25

Definition: Planning and Goal Setting

Answer 25

to develop and maintain an effective coaching plan with the client.

Question 26

5 pointers: Planning and Goal Setting (5 things)

Answer 26

1. Consolidates collected information and establishes a coaching plan and development goals with the client that address concerns and major areas for learning and development.
2. Creates a plan with results that are attainable, measurable, specific, and have target dates.
3. Makes plan adjustments as warranted by the coaching process and by changes in the situation.
4. Helps the client identify and access different resources for learning (e.g., books, other professionals).
5. Identifies and targets early successes that are important to the client.

Question 27

Definition: Managing Progress and Accountability

Answer 27

to hold attention on what is important for the client
to leave responsibility with the client to take action.

Question 28

10 pointers: Progress and Accountability

Answer 28

1. Clearly requests of the client actions that will move the client toward his/her stated goals.
2. Demonstrates follow-through by asking the client about those actions that the client committed to during the previous session(s).
3. Acknowledges the client for what they have done, not done, learned or become aware of since the previous coaching session(s).
4. Effectively prepares, organizes, and reviews with client information obtained during sessions.
5. Keeps the client on track between sessions by holding attention on the coaching plan and outcomes, agreed-upon courses of action, and topics for future session(s).
6. Focuses on the coaching plan but is also open to adjusting behaviors and actions based on the coaching process and shifts in direction during sessions.
7. Is able to move back and forth between the big picture of where the client is heading, setting a context for what is being discussed and where the client wishes to go.
8. Promotes client’s self-discipline and holds the client accountable for what they say they are going to do, for the results of an intended action, or for a specific plan with related time frames.
9. Develops the client’s ability to make decisions, address key concerns, and develop himself/herself (to get feedback, to determine priorities and set the pace of learning, to reflect on and learn from experiences).
10. Positively confronts the client with the fact that he/she did not take agreed-upon actions.

Question 29

Definition: ICF Coach

Answer 29

An ICF coach agrees to practice the ICF Core Competencies and pledges accountability to the ICF code of ethics

Question 30

Definition: Professional coaching relationship

Answer 30

Exists when coaching includes an agreement (including contracts) that defines the responsibilities of each party.

Question 31

Definition: Roles in the coaching relationship

Answer 31

In order to clarify roles in the coaching relationship it is often necessary to distinguish between the client and the sponsor. In most cases, the client and sponsor are the same person and are therefore jointly referred to as the client. For purposes of identification, however, the ICF defines these as 2 different roles

Question 32

Definition: Sponsor

Answer 32

The “sponsor” is the entity (including its representatives) paying for and/or arranging for coaching services to be provided. In all cases, coaching engagement agreements should clearly establish the right, roles, and responsibilities for both the client and the sponsor if the client and sponsor are different people.

Question 33

Definition: Conflict of interest

Answer 33

A situation in which a coach has a private or personal interest sufficient to appear to influence the objective of his or her official duties as a coach and as a professional.

Question 34

Definition: Code of Ethics

Answer 34

designed to provide appropriate guidelines, accountability and enforceable standards of conduct

Question 35

5 sections: ICF Standards of Ethical Conduct

Answer 35

1: Professional Conduct at Large
2: Conflicts of Interest
3: Professional Conduct with Clients
4: Confidentiality/Privacy
5: Continuing Development

Question 36

Professional conduct at large #1

Answer 36

Conduct myself in accordance with the ICF Code of Ethics in all interactions, including coach training, coach mentoring, and coach supervisory activities.

Question 37

Professional conduct at large #2

Answer 37

Commit to take the appropriate action with the coach, trainer, or coach mentor and/or will contact ICF to address any ethics violation or possible breach as soon as I become aware, whether it involves me or others.

Question 38

Professional conduct at large #3

Answer 38

Communicate and create awareness in others, including organizations, employees, sponsors, coaches and others, who might need to be informed of the responsibilities established by this Code.

Question 39

Professional conduct at large #4

Answer 39

Refrain from unlawful discrimination in occupational activities, including age, race, gender orientation, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability.

Question 40

Professional conduct at large #5

Answer 40

Make verbal and written statements that are true and accurate about what I offer as a coach, the coaching profession or ICF.

Question 41

Professional conduct at large #6

Answer 41

Accurately identify my coaching qualifications, expertise, experience, training, certifications and ICF Credentials.

Question 42

Professional conduct at large #7

Answer 42

Recognize and honor the efforts and contributions of others and only claim ownership of my own material. I understand that violating this standard may leave me subject to legal remedy by a third party.

Question 43

Professional conduct at large #8

Answer 43

Strive at all times to recognize my personal issues that may impair, conflict with or interfere with my coaching performance or my professional coaching relationships. I will promptly seek the relevant professional assistance and determine the action to be taken, including whether it is appropriate to suspend or terminate my coaching relationship(s) whenever the facts and circumstances necessitate.

Question 44

Professional conduct at large #9

Answer 44

Recognize that the Code of Ethics applies to my relationship with coaching clients, coachees, students, mentees and supervisees.

Question 45

Professional conduct at large #10

Answer 45

Conduct and report research with competence, honesty and within recognized scientific standards and applicable subject guidelines. My research will be carried out with the necessary consent and approval of those involved, and with an approach that will protect participants from any potential harm. All research efforts will be performed in a manner that complies with all the applicable laws of the country in which the research is conducted.

Question 46

Professional conduct at large #11

Answer 46

Maintain, store and dispose of any records, including electronic files and communications, created during my coaching engagements in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security and privacy and complies with any applicable laws and agreements.

Question 47

Professional conduct at large #12

Answer 47

Use ICF Member contact information (email addresses, telephone numbers, and so on) only in the manner and to the extent authorized by the ICF.

Question 48

Conflicts of interest #13

Answer 48

Seek to be conscious of any conflict or potential conflict of interest, openly disclose any such conflict and offer to remove myself when a conflict arises.

Question 49

Conflicts of interest #14

Answer 49

Clarify roles for internal coaches, set boundaries and review with stakeholders conflicts of interest that may emerge between coaching and other role functions.

Question 50

Conflicts of interest #15

Answer 50

Disclose to my client and the sponsor(s) all anticipated compensation from third parties that I may receive for referrals of clients or pay to receive clients.

Question 51

Conflicts of interest #16

Answer 51

Honor an equitable coach/client relationship, regardless of the form of compensation.

Question 52

Professional conduct with clients #17

Answer 52

Ethically speak what I know to be true to clients, prospective clients or sponsors about the potential value of the coaching process or of me as a coach.

Question 53

Professional conduct with clients #18

Answer 53

Carefully explain and strive to ensure that, prior to or at the initial meeting, my coaching client and sponsor(s) understand the nature of coaching, the nature and limits of confidentiality, financial arrangements, and any other terms of the coaching agreement.

Question 54

Professional conduct with clients #19

Answer 54

Have a clear coaching service agreement with my clients and sponsor(s) before beginning the coaching relationship and honor this agreement. The agreement shall include the roles, responsibilities and rights of all parties involved.

Question 55

Professional conduct with clients #20

Answer 55

Hold responsibility for being aware of and setting clear, appropriate and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern interactions, physical or otherwise, I may have with my clients or sponsor(s).

Question 56

Professional conduct with clients #21

Answer 56

Avoid any sexual or romantic relationship with current clients or sponsor(s) or students, mentees or supervisees. Further, I will be alert to the possibility of any potential sexual intimacy among the parties including my support staff and/or assistants and will take the appropriate action to address the issue or cancel the engagement in order to provide a safe environment overall.

Question 57

Professional conduct with clients #22

Answer 57

Respect the client’s right to terminate the coaching relationship at any point during the process, subject to the provisions of the agreement. I shall remain alert to indications that there is a shift in the value received from the coaching relationship.

Question 58

Professional conduct with clients #23

Answer 58

Encourage the client or sponsor to make a change if I believe the client or sponsor would be better served by another coach or by another resource and suggest my client seek the services of other professionals when deemed necessary or appropriate.

Question 59

Confidentiality #24

Answer 59

Maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality with all client and sponsor information unless release is required by law.

Question 60

Confidentiality #25

Answer 60

Have a clear agreement about how coaching information will be exchanged among coach, client and sponsor.

Question 61

Confidentiality #26

Answer 61

Have a clear agreement when acting as a coach, coach mentor, coaching supervisor or trainer, with both client and sponsor, student, mentee, or supervisee about the conditions under which confidentiality may not be maintained (e.g., illegal activity, pursuant to valid court order or subpoena; imminent or likely risk of danger to self or to others; etc) and make sure both client and sponsor, student, mentee, or supervisee voluntarily and knowingly agree in writing to that limit of confidentiality. Where I reasonably believe that because one of the above circumstances is applicable, I may need to inform appropriate authorities.

Question 62

Confidentiality #27

Answer 62

Require all those who work with me in support of my clients to adhere to the ICF Code of Ethics, Number 26, Section 4, Confidentiality and Privacy Standards, and any other sections of the Code of Ethics that might be applicable.

Question 63

Continuing development #28

Answer 63

Commit to the need for continued and ongoing development of my professional skills

Question 64

ICF pledge of ethics

Answer 64

As an ICF coach, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching clients and sponsors, colleagues, and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with the ICF Code of Ethics and to practice these standards with those whom I coach, teach, mentor or supervise.

Question 65

Definition: Establishing Coaching Agreement

Answer 65

Ability to understand what is required in the specific coaching interaction and to come to agreement with the prospective and new client about the coaching process and relationship