CTEDU Essential Coach Training
CTEDU's foundational ICF Level 1 program — 62.5 live training hours over ~6 months, includes mentor coaching and a business-building course, meets ACC education requirements.
- Provider
- Coach Training EDU
- Format
- Live Zoom; weekly 2-hr sessions, cohorts of 8-16
- ICF hours
- 62.5 ICF Level 1 hours
- Duration
- ~6 months (24-26 wks), 62.5 training hours
- Tuition
- $4,950 (pay in full); payment plans available
- Prerequisites
- None. No prior coaching experience required.
About
Program overview
1.0 Essential Coach Training is Coach Training EDU (CTEDU)'s foundational, ICF Level 1 accredited program, delivering roughly 62.5 hours of live instruction over about six months. It is the entry point into every CTEDU credential path: coaches complete it before advancing into 2.0 Advanced Coach Training or the NBHWC Health & Wellness pathway.
Format
Classes meet once a week for two hours over live Zoom in cohorts of roughly 8 to 16 students. Each session follows a three-part structure: open discussion of assigned material, a live coaching demonstration led by the trainer, and in-class practice with peer feedback. Graduation requires attending at least 22 of 24 core sessions, completing three overviews, and logging at least 10 hours of practice coaching.
What's included
Tuition covers physical and digital textbooks, CTEDU's digital learning platform, and the Group Mentor Coaching course, an 8-hour cohort-based series that contributes toward the 10 mentor-coaching hours the ICF requires for ACC applicants. Graduates also complete Build Your Life's Work, a 24-module self-paced business-building course, and can choose one specialization add-on at enrollment: Academic, Wellness, or Executive coaching.
Credential pathway
Successful graduates meet ICF Level 1 education requirements and become eligible to apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, provided they separately log the ICF's required coaching-experience hours and pass the Credentialing Exam. 1.0 Essential also satisfies the core coaching-skill requirement for CTEDU's NBHWC pathway when paired with the Wellness specialization, which leads to the National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach credential issued by the NBHWC. Coaches who want the PCC credential continue into 2.0 Advanced Coach Training, which brings combined education hours to 125.
Who it's for
The program is built for career changers and working professionals moving into coaching from other fields: educators, executives, consultants, and therapists. No prior coaching experience is required, and most cohorts mix first-career coaches with clinicians, corporate managers, and former teachers working toward a second act.
CTEDU has this extra package that's part of your training to help walk you through the basics of launching your business, which was invaluable.
CTEDU Essential Coach Training coaches on Dream Coach Match
Questions about CTEDU Essential Coach Training
Q.01What is 1.0 Essential Coach Training?
What is 1.0 Essential Coach Training?
1.0 Essential Coach Training is CTEDU's foundational, ICF Level 1 accredited coaching program. It delivers roughly 62.5 hours of live instruction over about six months and is the required starting point for every CTEDU credential path, including the [2.0 Advanced program](/training-programs/ctedu-advanced-coach-training) and the [NBHWC Health & Wellness pathway](/training-programs/ctedu-nbhwc-health-wellness-coaching).
Q.02How long does 1.0 Essential Coach Training take?
How long does 1.0 Essential Coach Training take?
The program runs about six months, meeting once a week for two-hour live Zoom sessions in cohorts of roughly 8 to 16 students. Graduation requires attending at least 22 of 24 core sessions plus completing three overviews and 10 hours of practice coaching.
Q.03What credential does 1.0 Essential Coach Training lead to?
What credential does 1.0 Essential Coach Training lead to?
Graduates meet ICF Level 1 education requirements and become eligible to apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. The ACC application still requires separately logging the ICF's required coaching-experience hours and passing the Credentialing Exam; program completion alone doesn't confer the credential.
Q.04What's included in the mentor coaching requirement?
What's included in the mentor coaching requirement?
1.0 Essential includes an 8-hour, cohort-based Group Mentor Coaching course that counts toward the 10 mentor-coaching hours the ICF requires of ACC applicants. The course is built into the standard training schedule rather than purchased separately.
Q.05Can I add a specialization to 1.0 Essential?
Can I add a specialization to 1.0 Essential?
Yes. Enrollees choose one specialization add-on at enrollment: [Academic](/training-programs/ctedu-academic-life-coach-training), [Wellness](/training-programs/ctedu-wellness-life-coach-training), or [Executive](/training-programs/ctedu-executive-life-coach-training) coaching. The Wellness add-on is also the prerequisite for [CTEDU's NBHWC Health & Wellness pathway](/training-programs/ctedu-nbhwc-health-wellness-coaching).
Q.06What comes after 1.0 Essential?
What comes after 1.0 Essential?
Two routes. Coaches pursuing the ICF PCC credential continue into [2.0 Advanced Coach Training](/training-programs/ctedu-advanced-coach-training), a 25-week program that adds 62.5 hours and brings the combined total to the 125 hours ICF Level 2 requires. Coaches heading for health and wellness work take the [NBHWC pathway](/training-programs/ctedu-nbhwc-health-wellness-coaching) instead, which layers 12 wellness modules and an exam-prep course onto 1.0 and leads toward the NBC-HWC credential from the [NBHWC](/organizations/nbhwc). Neither is required; 1.0 Essential on its own satisfies the ICF Level 1 education requirement for ACC.
Q.07What does an ICF ACC credential from CTEDU tell me about a coach?
What does an ICF ACC credential from CTEDU tell me about a coach?
It tells you the coach completed at least 60 hours of ICF Level 1 coach-specific training through 1.0 Essential, logged the ICF's required coaching-experience hours, completed mentor coaching, and passed the ICF Credentialing Exam. It doesn't tell you how much client experience they've built since certifying or what population they focus on. Both are worth asking about directly.
Q.08What should I ask a CTEDU 1.0 Essential-trained coach before hiring them?
What should I ask a CTEDU 1.0 Essential-trained coach before hiring them?
Ask whether they hold an active ICF ACC credential rather than just program completion, since finishing 1.0 Essential alone doesn't confer the credential. Ask how many client hours they've coached since graduating and whether they pursued a specialization, such as Academic, Wellness, or Executive coaching, that matches what you're looking for.
Q.09What does 1.0 Essential Coach Training cost?
What does 1.0 Essential Coach Training cost?
1.0 Essential Coach Training is priced at $4,950 for pay-in-full enrollment. CTEDU offers payment plan options for coaches who prefer to spread the investment across multiple installments. Current pricing, available discounts, and payment plan terms are published at coachtrainingedu.com.
Q.10How is 1.0 Essential Coach Training delivered?
How is 1.0 Essential Coach Training delivered?
All sessions run live via Zoom. Classes meet once a week for two hours over roughly six months, in cohorts of 8 to 16 students. The live format is a structural requirement — peer practice and in-session feedback are built into every class, not layered on afterward. Coaches who need scheduling flexibility can ask CTEDU about upcoming cohort start dates and available time slots.