Becoming a KPC Coach

A Month of Intense Challenge and True Growth

A year and four months after earning my KAC (Korea Associate Coach) credential, I decided to deepen my coaching capability by pursuing the KPC (Korea Professional Coach) certification. From the document review in early November to the practical exam on November 30, the entire month became a nonstop marathon.
This is my personal KPC exam journey — a story of struggle, learning, and unexpected growth.

The Requirements for Becoming a KPC Coach: Far From Easy

To earn the KPC certification, several conditions must be met:

• More than 200 hours of coaching practice
• 5 hours of Coach-the-Coach
• 5 hours of Mentor Coaching
• Passing document screening → written exam → 30-minute practical coaching exam

The 200 coaching hours, in particular, are not just a number. They require real clients, consistent documentation, and ongoing reflection. I coached former colleagues, acquaintances, and even blog readers — each session shaping and stretching me in ways I didn’t expect.

One Week Before the Exam: A Hard Truth Hits Me

By the time I passed the written exam, only the practical exam remained.
I felt fairly confident — until the very first practice session.

I realized I wasn’t truly listening to the client.

I was hearing the words, but not receiving the person.
I was steering the conversation toward my prepared question list, prioritizing the exam format over the client’s real narrative.

The feedback from fellow coaches was brutally honest:

“Your questions don’t seem connected to what I’m saying.”
“It feels like you’re asking what you want to ask, not what the client needs.”

It was a shock.
And worse, I realized I was failing at one of KPC’s core competencies: working with the client’s Being.

Seven Days Left: Rebuilding My Coaching Style From Zero

With the exam just days away, I had to rebuild everything from the ground up.
I even considered giving up — but decided instead to return to the basics.

I revisited all of my previous coaching notes
Redesigned my question flow and session structure
Focused intensely on contextual listening
Repeated practice after practice

I spent three days fully immersed, barely eating or sleeping.
But that immersion opened a door.

Conversations began to flow naturally. Forced questions disappeared.
And for the first time in a long while, the client’s words were truly landing in my mind and heart.

I could finally feel what “real coaching” meant again.

Exam Day: Tension Followed by Unexpected Calm

November 30 arrived.
I was nervous, of course — but the moment the session began, surprising calm washed over me.

All the hours of concentrated practice carried me.

My mind was steady. My attention was open.
I wasn’t performing coaching; I was simply coaching.

December 8: The Moment Everything Became Real

During a morning hike up Bongseo Mountain, the results were announced.
Right near the summit, I checked the notification from the Korea Coach Association.

I had passed the KPC exam.

Knowing the pass rate hovers around fifty percent made it even more meaningful.
But more than anything, I felt I had finally won an internal battle.

I raised both arms toward the sky and said to myself,
“I really did it.”

The Messages That Filled My Day

All day long, messages poured in from coaching groups, former colleagues, and various communities:

“You’re officially a professional coach now.”
“That journey itself proves you’re a coach.”

And those words were true.
The certification wasn’t the victory — the process was.

The month that nearly broke me had also reshaped me.

What the KPC Certification Means to Me

The certificate itself won’t drastically change my life.
But it represents a promise I’ve made to myself:

To continue growing as a coach
To meet clients with their full humanity and Being
To keep examining myself so I can hold deeper space for others

This path is never one we walk alone.
I’m grateful for every coach who practiced with me, every client who trusted me, and every person who quietly supported my growth.

The Beginning, Not the End

Passing the KPC exam is not the destination.
It is the beginning of my real journey as a coach.

I still have much to learn.
I am still imperfect, still developing, still discovering.

But that is exactly why I can keep growing.

To anyone preparing for the KPC exam, I want to say this:

“It will be hard, but you’ll be okay.
The process itself is what will make you a coach.”

For Your Dream Life
by Dream Max