Overview: What Will Be on the LEED Green Associate Exam?

Here, I will introduce you to all the parts of the LEED Green Associate exam you will need to know and understand.

Part of the responsibility of a LEED Green Associate is to comprehend the application of LEED for potential LEED certified projects. This involves the understanding of the various rating systems and for what kinds of projects they should be used for.

In addition, project requirements and the cost implications of the LEED process should also be understood.

The LEED Application Process

The LEED Application process is the method by which a project becomes LEED certified. This involves how a project team may apply and register their project for LEED certification, how credit information is given to the USGBC, how a team may ask questions to the USGBC for clarification, or how a team may appeal rulings by the USGBC.

LEED Credits and Prerequisites

The core of the LEED curriculum involves mandatory project requirements called prerequisites, as well as points earned through various credits. It is the LEED Green Associate’s responsibility to understand the point system and how prerequisites and credits are earned – the strategies behind them, the codes and standards used to help satisfy them, as well as how different credits interact with each other.

LEED Specific Strategies

You will also need to understand specific strategies that are involved across the various LEED Rating Systems, as well as how they interact with one another. LEED Strategies are divided into the following categories:

• Site Selection
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality; and
• Innovation in Design

Additional Exam Material

Lastly, you will also need to know general USGBC policies and other green resources.

For more information about what’s on the exam, please take a look at the Green Associate exam candidate handbook, which can be found on the GBCI website. If you’re interested in study material for the Green Associate exam, please click here.