Coaching certification program template
A coaching certification program template is a module-by-module plan for training coaches to a standard you assess: theory, supervised practice and a final check of both. This one runs fourteen weeks: an orientation, six two-week modules that each pair a lesson and a quiz with practice in triads and a mentor coaching session, and a final assessment of knowledge and of a recorded coaching session.
- 0:00Opening10 min
- 0:10Live coaching25 min
- 0:35Triad practice40 min
- 1:15Debrief10 min
- 1:25Close5 min
The 14-week certification: orient, six modules, assess
Each module takes two weeks: the first for the theory and the quiz, the second for practice. A trainee opens the next module once they pass the quiz on the one before. Replace the module topics with your own competency model and keep the shape: learn, check, practise, get feedback.
- 1
Orientation
Baseline, standards and the practice triads.
- Week 1
Starting the certification
- Welcome lesson: how the certification works and what is assessed
- Entry self-assessment
- Code of conduct and assessment criteria lesson
- Live session: introductions and the triads formed
Put trainees into triads before this session, so each triad meets for the first time in its breakout.
- Week 1
- 2
Modules
Two weeks per module: theory and a quiz, then practice and feedback.
- Weeks 2–3
Module 1: Foundations and ethics
- Lesson: what coaching is and isn't, and the code of conduct
- Module 1 quiz (pass mark)
- Triad practice: three 20-minute sessions, each trainee coaches once
- Practice log entry
- Live session: debrief and live coaching
- Weeks 4–5
Module 2: Agreements and contracting
- Lesson: setting the session agreement
- Module 2 quiz (pass mark)
- Triad practice with an observer's feedback form
- Practice log entry
- First mentor coaching session
- Weeks 6–7
Module 3: Listening and presence
- Lesson: levels of listening
- Module 3 quiz (pass mark)
- Triad practice
- Practice log entry
- Live session: debrief and live coaching
Read the midpoint check-in before week 6's session, and follow up with any trainee who is behind on their practice log.
- Weeks 8–9
Module 4: Powerful questions
- Lesson: open questions and when to stay quiet
- Module 4 quiz (pass mark)
- Triad practice
- Practice log entry
- Second mentor coaching session
- Weeks 10–11
Module 5: Goals, action and accountability
- Lesson: from insight to agreed action
- Module 5 quiz (pass mark)
- Triad practice
- Practice log entry
- Live session: debrief and live coaching
- Weeks 12–13
Module 6: Ending sessions and engagements
- Lesson: closing a session and an engagement well
- Module 6 quiz (pass mark)
- Triad practice
- Practice log entry
- Third mentor coaching session
- Weeks 2–3
- 3
Assessment
A scored final check and a practical assessment.
- Week 14
Final assessment
- Final knowledge check (pass mark)
- Submit a recorded coaching session with a written self-assessment
- Assessor review against the criteria
- Final reflection: the same questions as the entry self-assessment
Agree with trainees beforehand how the recorded client consents, and who sees the recording.
- Week 14
Certification session structure: one 90-minute session
Every live session spends most of its time on coaching, not on slides: the theory is in the lesson and the quiz before it. Copy it into your session notes.
| Time | Block | What the facilitator does |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Opening10 min | The module's competency in one line, and the two questions most trainees missed in the quiz. |
| 0:10–0:35 | Live coaching25 min | One trainee coaches a volunteer for 15 minutes while the group observes against the criteria. Then 10 minutes of feedback: the coach first, then the observers, then the facilitator. |
| 0:35–1:15 | Triad practice40 min | Breakouts in triads: coach, client and observer, rotating so each trainee coaches once for about ten minutes and gets three minutes of feedback. |
| 1:15–1:25 | Debrief10 min | What did the triads notice? Draw out one thing to keep and one thing to change. |
| 1:25–1:30 | Close5 min | What to log, and what to bring to the next mentor coaching session. |
Four checkpoints: entry, module quizzes, midpoint, final
The final reflection repeats the entry self-assessment, so each trainee sees the change in their own ratings. The quizzes check knowledge; the recorded session checks practice.
Entry self-assessment
- 1Rate your confidence today in each area: ethics, agreements, listening, questions, action and accountability, closing. (1 to 10 each)
- 2How much coaching have you done so far, and in what setting?
- 3Why do you want this certification, and what will you do with it?
- 4What is most likely to get in the way of your practice hours?
Module quiz
- 1Five to ten scored questions on the module's key ideas, single or multiple choice
- 2An explanation for every question, shown after the trainee submits
- 3A pass mark, with a couple of retakes allowed
- 4Passing it opens the next module
Midpoint check-in
- 1How many practice hours have you logged so far?
- 2Which competency feels strongest? Which feels weakest?
- 3How well is your triad working? (1 to 10)
- 4Is there anything you need that you're not getting?
Final reflection
- 1Rate your confidence now in each area: ethics, agreements, listening, questions, action and accountability, closing. (1 to 10 each)
- 2What changed most in how you coach?
- 3What will you keep working on after the certification?
- 4Would you recommend this program to another coach in training? (0 to 10)
One practice log entry per session
Trainees log every practice session, so they and you can see their hours build up. Keep it private to the trainee and the faculty.
The final practical assessment
- A recorded coaching session of 20 to 30 minutes, with the client's consent
- A written self-assessment of the session against each criterion
- The practice log, with the total hours
- Each criterion: met or not yet, with an example from the recording
- One strength to build on
- One area to develop, and how
- 1Date and length of the session
- 2Who was the client: a triad partner, a volunteer or a real client
- 3The competency you focused on
- 4What went well
- 5What you'd do differently
- 6Feedback you received, from the observer or the client
Four rules for the faculty
What keeps a certification fair and the practice real.
Publish the criteria first
Trainees should see from week 1 exactly what the final assessment checks. No criterion appears for the first time in the assessment.
Gate on knowledge, not on time
A trainee opens the next module by passing the quiz, not by waiting for a date. Allow retakes: the aim is to learn the material.
Practice beats theory
Every module ends in coaching practice with feedback. If time runs short, cut the lecture, never the triad.
Keep the triads fixed
Trainees give better feedback to people they trust. Keep the same triads for the whole program, unless a triad stops meeting.
What keeps trainees practising between sessions
Most of the learning happens in practice. These keep it on track.
Module quizzes
A scored quiz at the end of each module, with a pass mark that opens the next one.
Triad practice
A weekly triad session, each trainee coaching once, with an observer's feedback.
Mentor coaching
Three one-to-one sessions with a mentor coach, booked from the mentor's availability.
Practice log
One entry per practice session, so the hours build up where trainee and faculty can both see them.
Coaching certification program template · upcoach.com/templates/coaching-certification-program-template