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Practice the Certified Coach Examination
 Overview | The 9 IAC Coaching Masteries™ | Certification Part 1 | Preparation for Part 2 | Certification Part 2 | The Certification Board | Certifying Examiner Requirements | IAC Chapters

Sample Exam

Question #1: Advocate is best defined as

  1. cheerleader.
  2. fan.
  3. supporter.
  4. opponent.

Question #2: In coaching, active listening is characterized by all of the following except

  1. articulating or paraphrasing.
  2. attending to meaning.
  3. screening out distractions.
  4. listening for an opportunity to give praise.

Question #3: The Mastery which involves recognizing the client’s underlying abilities would be called

  1. Perceiving and affirming the client’s potential.
  2. Engaged listening.
  3. Inviting possibility.
  4. Clarifying.

Question #4: What type of activity is likely to occur when the coach is engaged in using Mastery 2 (Perceiving, Affirming and Expanding the Client’s Potential)?

  1. taking the client’s assumptions at face value.
  2. brainstorming.
  3. calling the client’s attention to a recent success.
  4. interrupting when the client dwells on limitations and excuses.

Question #5: When comparing the Mastery of Engaged Listening (Mastery 3) to that of Expressing (Mastery 5), the main difference is

  1. the client is not the center of attention when the coach is engaged in expressing.
  2. the direction of communication (in other words, who is communicating to whom).
  3. the coach builds trust and rapport primarily through expressing.
  4. the coach learns about the client only when listening.

Question #6: Productive silence is best described as

  1. a time during which the client processes thoughts or accesses intuition.
  2. when the coach holds back because she is uncomfortable sharing insight.
  3. a hush following a major breakthrough.
  4. a tool the coach can use to push the client into speaking more.

Question #7: When Processing in the Present (Mastery 4), the coach may use which of the following skills?

  1. allowing productive silence.
  2. asking powerful questions.
  3. sharing intuition.
  4. processing information at many levels (mind, body, spirit).
  5. all of the above.

Question #8: You overhear two coaches chatting about the Masteries. You know they’re discussing “Processing in the Present” (Mastery 4) because you hear words like

  1. mindful, aware, intuition.
  2. clarity, commitment, direction.
  3. capable, intention, focus.
  4. cooperate, collaborate, transform.

Question #9: As you’re preparing your recordings for scoring by the IAC Certifiers, you notice that your voice sounded pressured, you were talking more than usual and you used terms with which your client was not familiar. What Mastery might the certifiers point out needs more work?

  1. Engaged listening.
  2. Processing in the present.
  3. Expressing.
  4. Clarifying.

Question #10: One of the important distinctions for the Mastery of Expressing (Mastery 5) is “communication for the client versus to the client.” This means the coach

  1. speaks in the client’s best interest, not for selfish reasons.
  2. uses clear language, free of jargon.
  3. is sensitive to whether or not the client can listen.
  4. all of the above.
  5. none of the above.

Question #11: Which of the following are effective behaviors when engaging the Mastery of Clarifying (Mastery 6)?

  1. assuming, leading, judging.
  2. listening, summarizing, inquiring.
  3. interrupting, intruding, bottom-lining.
  4. requesting, provoking, prompting.

Question #12: Each week you work with your clients to help them concentrate and move toward accomplishing what’s most important to them. Which Mastery are you engaging?

  1. Clarifying.
  2. Helping the client set and keep clear intentions.
  3. Inviting possibility.
  4. Helping the client create and use supportive systems and structures.

Question #13: All of the following could be considered key elements of Inviting Possibility (Mastery 8) except

  1. inquisitiveness.
  2. exploring for a sense of purpose and meaning.
  3. collaborative brainstorming.
  4. reassurance that growth is manageable.

Question #14: On a trip to your favorite bookstore, you stumble on a how-to book that would be just right for one of your clients who is starting a new business. When you suggest the title to her, you are

  1. inviting possibility.
  2. maintaining a relationship that invites growth.
  3. helping the client identify tools and references that might facilitate her progress.
  4. wasting your time.

Question #15: Planning tools, strengths assessments and social networks are all examples of

  1. support systems and structures.
  2. ways to clarify and decrease uncertainty.
  3. duplicating effort.
  4. perceiving, affirming and expanding the client’s potential.

Question #16: According to the IAC Ethical Principles, in their work coaches are expected to

  1. protect their personal biases.
  2. strengthen their limitations.
  3. respect client confidentiality.
  4. change their approach to respect their clients’ socioeconomic status.

Question #17: The best measure of coaching success is

  1. completion of a coaching school or mentoring program.
  2. certification.
  3. the creation of a profitable business.
  4. the client’s progress.

Question #18: Where the law of the country in which the coach practices differs from the IAC Ethical Principles, the coach

  1. is expected to, at a minimum, strive to adhere to the IAC code of ethics.
  2. will alter her approach with clients to reflect the bounds of the local legal limits.
  3. may position himself outside the boundaries of his competence, if allowed by local law.
  4. may use language that is difficult to understand for the recipient of her services, but which is within the legal bounds.

Question #19: When an individual is coaching masterfully, which of the following behaviors exemplify Mastery 8 (Inviting Possibility)?

  1. provides answers to aid the client in his search for solution.
  2. focuses primarily on the external factors that might influence possibilities for the client.
  3. allows for silence so that the client has an opportunity for reflection and discovery.
  4. asks leading questions to help the client get to resolution.

Question #20: In coaching, masterful use of Mastery 8 (Inviting Possibility) is characterized all of the following except

  1. curiosity about what could be.
  2. acceptance of limitations.
  3. enthusiastic discovery.
  4. inviting the client to suspend their beliefs about themselves, if only temporarily.

Question #21: What set of potential outcomes might a certifier see as a result of a coach’s effective use of Mastery 4 (Processing in the Present)?

  1. discernment and focus.
  2. clarification and direction.
  3. increased awareness and certainty.
  4. judgment and full-body processing.

Question #22: The client finds himself or herself in a quandary: which of two potential paths is best suited to their personal style and long-term goals? The masterful coach, if practicing the quality of Processing in the Present (Mastery 4),

  1. directs the client to consider past successes as an indicator of the best future action.
  2. keeps the conversation light and shares insights.
  3. provides multiple perspectives that would be beneficial for the client to consider.
  4. stays aware of the client’s discomfort and creates space to minimize those emotions.

Question #23: The benefits of creating an environment of trust are all of the following, except

  1. client is able to share deepest fears without fear of judgment.
  2. client and coach are able to exchange openly.
  3. emotions are expressed only after thoughtful consideration of its potential effect on the client or coach.
  4. challenging questions are viewed as a natural part of the conversation.

Question #24: When there is trust between client and coach, a certifier will notice the following, except

  1. the use of rapid fire, close-ended questions.
  2. the client feels comfortable to explore boldest and most daring alternative courses of action.
  3. the client views the coach as his or her personal advocate.
  4. nothing (comfortable silence).

Question #25: Establishing and Maintaining a Relationship of Trust (Mastery 1) means, among other things, that the client feels safe to fully engage in the “risky” decisions associated with personal transformation. In order to maintain that openness,

  1. the coach listens fully, waiting for the appropriate moment to interject perspectives or advice that will be helpful for the client.
  2. the coach helps the client reframe emotions so that they are more productive.
  3. the coach keeps the focus on the client, not on herself.
  4. the client should primarily be the receiver of information, rather than the contributor of insight.

Question #26: An important benefit of mastering Expressing (Mastery 5) may include

  1. communication flows easily.
  2. conversations between client and coach serve as a springboard for thinking bigger and more boldly.
  3. the client feels valued because of the coach’s attention and appropriate interactions.
  4. all of the above.
  5. none of the above.

Question #27: “Tailoring communication” means the coach does which of the following?

  1. The coach “dummies down” the conversation, so that the client can understand what is being expressed.
  2. The coach is able to find the right time and right words for the client, at that moment.
  3. The coach is adept at redirecting the energy of the conversation by changing the cadence of his language.
  4. Communication is primarily a verbal exchange, which is the coach’s responsibility to modify.

Question #28: Which of the following are effective behaviors when engaging the Mastery of Expressing (Mastery 5)?

  1. respectful, directive, easy.
  2. clean, alert, prepared.
  3. client-focused, prying, mindful.
  4. clear, sensitive, expansive.

Question #29: One important difference between “cheerleading” and “perceiving the client’s potential” is

  1. that “perceiving” is based on the coach’s viewpoint, therefore less believable.
  2. the client gets more motivated and excited by cheerleading.
  3. that “perceiving” is built from what the client has actually experienced or sensed, thus more believable to the client.
  4. There are no major differences between the two.

Question #30: Perceiving, Affirming and Expanding the Client’s Potential (Mastery 2) has a long-term positive effect on the client because

  1. it is based on the client’s capabilities, strengths, and talents, using success to build more success.
  2. it allows the coach to push the client into new and greater areas of potential.
  3. it prevents the client from suffering the negative consequences of failure in their life.
  4. not challenging a limiting belief helps the client feel comfortable.

Question #31: Your client shares the fact that she is afraid to try a new approach because she doesn’t have the credentials she feels she needs to be successful. You bring to her attention that her natural talents are already there and well honed, regardless of whether or not she has completed the third-party accreditation. The client dismisses the comment. If you don’t explore that thread in the conversation further, on what Mastery might a certifier suggest that you need to work?

  1. Engaged listening.
  2. Perceiving and affirming the client’s potential.
  3. Helping the client set clear intentions.
  4. Helping the client use support systems and structures.

Question #32: A client’s sustainable progress

  1. is not a great idea, since the client quickly loses the need for coaching.
  2. can be created from building relationships with individuals, structures or systems.
  3. is more effectively accomplished when a trained professional directs it.
  4. is not possible.

Question #33: In coaching, “structure” is best defined as a

  1. framework created from many different perspectives or interrelated parts.
  2. program.
  3. set of tools used to persuade.
  4. building.

Question #34: All of the following could be considered important elements of Helping the Client to Create and Use Support Systems and Structures (Mastery 9) except

  1. enhancement of client effort.
  2. client responsibility and decision.
  3. tailored resources and recommendations.
  4. concern about whether or not the client uses the resource.

Question #35: The following are indications that a coach is not masterful at Clarifying (Mastery 6):

  1. The coach is able to paraphrase the client’s concerns in such a way that the client gets a clearer view of a situation.
  2. The client’s energy and enthusiasm are increased.
  3. The coach fails to ask questions that help the client simplify a situation.
  4. The coach second-guesses the client.

Question #36: Which of the following, if used by the coach, can lead to greater confusion for a client?

  1. paraphrasing, because it puts words in the client’s mouth.
  2. sharing an observed pattern of behavior, because it encourages the client to keep doing the same thing over and over.
  3. judgment, because it keeps the coach from listening fully to the client’s point of view.
  4. open-ended questions, because they don’t help the client narrow down their choices.

Question #37: The client seems confused about a particular course of action. After much conversation, the coach restates the choices as having to choose between their dream and someone else’s. The client brightens up and declares that it suddenly seems so simple. The coach used which Mastery?

  1. Inviting Possibility.
  2. Clarifying.
  3. Engaged Listening.
  4. Helping the Client Set and Keep Clear Intentions.

Question #38: “Hearing” what a client doesn’t say is an example of

  1. Engaged Listening.
  2. Expressing.
  3. Inviting Possibility.
  4. Clarifying.

Question #39: Which of the following are effective behaviors when using the Mastery of Engaged Listening (Mastery 3)?

  1. concentrates, interrupts, confirms.
  2. acknowledges, invites, allows.
  3. ignores, waits, completes.
  4. hears, wonders, leads.

Question #40: It has been said that “setting an intention without taking action is like wanting to win a lottery without buying a ticket.” If this is true, a complementary Mastery to Helping the Client Set and Keep Clear Intentions (Mastery 7) could be

  1. Helping the Client Create and Use Supportive Systems and Structures.
  2. Processing in the Present.
  3. Expressing.
  4. Establishing and Maintaining a Relationship of Trust.

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