I passed the MCC Performance Evaluation. (Whoop!) My final step: Passing the Coaching Knowledge Assessment exam episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 24, 2026 · 28 MIN

I passed the MCC Performance Evaluation. (Whoop!) My final step: Passing the Coaching Knowledge Assessment exam

from Competency No. 5 · host Debbi Gardiner McCullough and Ben Dooley

Last Friday, January 16, I heard from the assessors at the International Coaching Federation that I passed their famously difficult and evasive Master Certified Coaching Performance Evaluation. I've still the Coach Knowledge Assessment (CKA), a four-hour exam to go, before I get to join the 4% of MCC coaches globally, a rare group of around 2,240 coaches within 56,000 ICF credential-holders worldwide. But the hardest part (the performance evaluation) is now behind me.I was amazed and cried a lot when I read I’d passed and wrote on what's coming up for me on my Substack here. This is my immigrant dream coming true. Over winter break, (having submitted my MCC submission in September) I convinced myself I’d need to resubmit multiple times, like many coaches do. I still can't believe I passed with my first shot.  Curiosity, presence, and determination helped me the most, along with the accountability this podcast, Competency No 5 brought. [So, thank you for bearing with me!]In this week's episode, we welcome back MCC Coach Ben Dooley, one of two MCC coaches who mentored me. Ben tells us what that CKA is all about and how to pass it. I've since booked my CKA exam for early February.  Reach out to MCC Coach Ben Dooley via his website, here. Your show host, Debbi Gardiner McCullough, is a communications coach for Google PMs through Fortune 100 leaders, a former reporter for the Guardian, the Economist, and the FT of London. Find her on LinkedIn. Book her for coaching, training or ICF mentoring here. Join her workshops on Maven here and here.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 24, 2026

Embed this episode

Last Friday, January 16, I heard from the assessors at the International Coaching Federation that I passed their famously difficult and evasive Master Certified Coaching Performance Evaluation. I've still the Coach Knowledge Assessment (CKA), a four-hour exam to go, before I get to join the 4% of MCC coaches globally, a rare group of around 2,240 coaches within 56,000 ICF credential-holders worldwide. But the hardest part (the performance evaluation) is now behind me. I was amazed...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

I passed the MCC Performance Evaluation. (Whoop!) My final step: Passing the Coaching Knowledge Assessment exam

0:00 28:35

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Competency No. 5?

This episode is 28 minutes long.

When was this Competency No. 5 episode published?

This episode was published on January 24, 2026.

Can I download this Competency No. 5 episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!