WABC offers a suite of three rigorous, evidence-based program accreditation levels for business coach training programs—practitioner, advanced and master.
The WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) Standards are for qualifying and requalifying for Level 2 – CBC. You will refer to these standards when you’d like to learn about this level which is for programs that develop professional business coaches at advanced-level.
WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) global mark is a program accreditation distinction that ensures you’re offering the most comprehensive and robust business coach training available in the world.
Level 2 – CBC programs develop professional business coaches at advanced-level who represent many professional roles (e.g., leader, manager, internal or external business coach, external consultant). Such programs focus on consolidating technical skills and also developing a sound theoretical underpinning to practice and are for participants with a minimum of 3 years of formal business coaching experience. We identify practice in this context to be the application of advanced skills within common business and organizational scenarios to support clients, co-workers and organizations. Accordingly, business coaches at this advanced-level are expected to work with more diverse, although largely fixed, agendas that are directly related to business and organizational outcomes.
Graduates of these programs are eligible to earn the WABC Certified Business Coach™ (CBC™) credential. The credential is granted by WABC.
WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC):
WABC Accredited, as a program accreditation qualification, is the most rigorous level of qualification available to programs by an external accreditor. Program accreditation processes that follow industry best practice ensure their accredited programs require validation, carry re-accreditation requirements and are subject to revocation. WABC Accredited adheres to these best practices.
The WABC Accredited mark is awarded by WABC, a global accrediting body headquartered in Canada.
You’re an ideal candidate for WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) if your program meets the following profile.
As such, this level of program accreditation is only available to training programs that offer business coaching as the main focus of their curriculum. This means over 75% of the learning hours within the program must be focused on the practice, theory and/or research of business coaching.
Even if your program is brand new, or requires significant changes to meet WABC’s standards, you’ll most likely be eligible to register in our WABC Program Accreditation Process.
Graduates are eligible to earn their CBC credential, so when you screen your participants you’ll ensure they meet the following standards
Option: Full Length
Duration: 9–18 months*
Hours: 400*
Option: Fast-track
Duration: 6–12 months*
Hours: 200*
*Some variability expected based on participants’ experience-level and program’s approach
All formats are welcomed and determined by provider (e.g., in-person, virtual, blended)
Appropriate supervision required
Faculty size must be more than one and the composition is up to you (one lead and one support or co-leads, etc.). An external examiner is also required for this advanced-level program.
Lead Faculty**:
Support Faculty**:
External Examiner**:
As a provider of an advanced-level program, you will also appoint an external examiner as part of your overall management of the program.
The external examiner provides independent insight and proactively protects the standards of your assessments, maintains their consistency and benchmarks them against external standards in the coaching community. In this way, they can support the preservation of the integrity of any awards ensuring that the outcomes expected from the program are being achieved through the curriculum, and the assessment standards put in place are being met. The external examiner can be an individual (e.g., senior academic or practitioner), group or organization who/that:
This kind of external oversight is not something that WABC, in its role as the accrediting body, is able to do itself.
All providers have experienced a great benefit from the appointment of an external examiner and have not found this requirement to be onerous.
**Suitable degrees are those from accredited institutions in business coaching or in complementary disciplines (e.g., leadership, psychology, adult education, organizational development, human resources). If no suitable degrees, years of experience increase from 10 to 15. WABC will grant some leeway in relation to Support Faculty who do not quite reach the necessary requirements if appropriate monitoring and supervision provided by Lead Faculty.
This level is guided by a suite of standards developed by WABC
The WABC Accredited global mark is the product of widespread research, industry consultation, development and testing. As an evidence-based mark, it undergoes annual and three- to five-year reviews to ensure that it remains relevant and continues to set the highest global standards for all training programs with this mark.
To earn WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC), you must meet these requirements:
***If your program is brand new, or requires significant changes to meet WABC’s standards, you can still begin the WABC Program Accreditation Process and then run your “pilot program” during your process. Once your pilot is completed, then the assessment of your program occurs.
The value of the WABC Accredited mark is not just born from the standards that inform it, but also from the evaluative processes that lead to it. At WABC, we take very seriously the need to accomplish two goals for the benefit of all stakeholders:
WABC strikes the right balance towards realizing those two distinct goals through the creation of WABC standing committees—the WABC Accreditation & Credentialing Team, and three supporting WABC Accredited Decision Boards: WABC Accredited Assessment Board, WABC Accredited Award Board and WABC Accredited Appeal Board.
The team and boards are comprised of highly skilled experts who are passionate about business coaching and serving our community. They are accountable to strictly uphold WABC’s global evidence-based standards and accreditation best practice.
The purpose of all standing committees is to:
Ultimately, WABC maintains oversight of its standards and safeguards the program accreditation process, while simultaneously enabling experts to independently carry out program accreditation related activities. Taken altogether, this thoughtfully considered and balanced-approach raises the quality, credibility and profile of business coaching worldwide to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Being the best means renewing relevance and status in our global marketplace
As a WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) Program, you will safeguard your accreditation by meeting various provider’s responsibilities over the course of your five-year process lifecycle—from initial accreditation through annual monitoring to re-accreditation.
WABC can revoke accreditation at any time if a provider is reported or considered to be conducting their program in an unprofessional or unethical manner, not in accordance with the accreditation standards or in any other way that will bring WABC or business coaching into disrepute. Additionally, other adverse statuses can be issued (e.g., suspension, probation) if certain circumstances arise and require such an action be taken. In serious cases or when revocation occurs, you will no longer be able to use the WABC Accredited mark and you must remove all references to it, including badges, from your marketing, promotional and other material.
The WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) mark must be listed in a specific way. Please log in to your dashboard for further guidance and access to your WABC Accredited Promo Package.
This revised edition reflects improved text. Despite this revision, these standards have not changed.
WABC reserves all rights in connection with the WABC Accredited (Level 2 – CBC) Standards, including the right to change, replace or discontinue.
