What to Study

There are a lot of websites and forums that try and explain what is on the LEED-AP exam. A lot are actually very helpful. I’ve tried to condense everything for you. Here, you’ll find a list of the materials that you should study, links to other helpful websites, and a general explanation of what you should know and what will be asked of you during the exam.

Materials you should study:

1. The official USGBC reference guide for the specific development/delivery process you are studying for. I am studying for LEED for New Construction (now test version 2.2) but there are a myriad of others like LEED for Existing Buildings, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell and many others that are being established as we speak. You should choose the one that best suits your career goals. New Construction is probably the most popular one to take as it does also include major renovations. Most everything on this website is geared toward that test, but I do plan to incorporate other versions at a later time.
   • This reference guide becomes your Bible. It is actually the guide used during the certification process of a building so it contains all information for all of the credits that you need to know. And yes, you need to know each and every one of them like the back of your hand.
   • You should read through this at least once. I read straight through once, and honestly I found it much easier to go through a study guide while using the reference guide to clarify things.
   • You can purchase one from the USGBC store but they go for about $150.00. I’m not saying what to do here, but your friends or company may have one handy. Also, you may be able to find one at your local Library too. (thanks Amy!)
2. The USGBC.org website. Yes, quite a few of the questions on the LEED exam come right off of the website. If you enter the LEED section, everything under there is fair game. From learning the benefits of LEED certification, to understanding everything about the CIR (credit rulings interpretation) process, and even project registration fees, it can all show up on the exam.
   • To sum it all up, know the certification process.
3. Study guide(s)
   • Besides greenexamacademy.com, there are a lot of other study guides out there that you can use to help you pass the exam. Some are good, and some are not as helpful. If you would like a study guide that has everything you need to know, plus some extra tips and exercises in addition to what you can find on this website, feel free to check out The LEED AP Walkthrough . I wrote this E-Book to help those who want to pass quickly and efficiently. So far, its being well received.
4. Good practice exams
   • This is a given. There are many places where you can find sample questions and exams, some great, while other are not so helpful. I did not want to try and create questions off the top of my head that would probably end up mediocre at best – so I’ll just recommend to you which ones I think are best for your preparation. I’ve tried almost all of them, and these are my two favorites:
     • Greenexamprep.com . I highly recommend purchasing the 4 sample tests that come with the package. They are computer based like the real exam, and the questions are tough and sometimes a little too nit-picky, but I found the 320 total questions to be very very helpful. You can each of the 4 separate exams as many times as you’d like, and there are explanations for wrong answers and scoring that reflects the actual exam. Read about how well those tests helped me here .
     • The Colorado Chapter Study Guide. This study guide has an 80 question exam attached to it. It’s much like the real exam, and the questions are most true to the kinds of questions you’ll find on the real exam. I believe you can purchase one from the USGBC Colorado chapter, or you can search through the ARE forum for additional places to get a hold of it. The guide itself is also a great resource too.
     • Just so you have an idea of what the questions look like and what you’ll be dealing with, please feel free to read this post that takes a closer look at a particular LEED exam question.

Awesome LEED Links:

1. Start with the LEED AP Candidate Handbook from the GCBI website.
   • Benefits, registration, and scoring information for the LEED AP exam.
2. Probably the best resource link pool for the LEED AP exam studying website I’ve ever seen at the University of Florida "Learning to LEED – Test Taking Resource"
   • reference standard and exemplary performance spreadsheets
   • LEED acronyms and factoids
   • Flashcards
   • Credit Summary Tables
3. The Colorado Chapter LEED Study Guide (links to ARE forum)
   • A well-known resource in the LEED Study/Test prep world. It’s a bit more advanced but should be read because a lot of people say it good at preparing you for what the test may be like in regards to the caliber of the questions on the exam.
4. The LEED ARE Forum
   • A great community of upcoming test takers and LEED Accredited Professionals who love to help out. A "must-register" forum for sure!

Things you should know for the Exam (New Construction version 2.2):

1. Be familiar with each and every single credit within the six LEED-NC2.2 categories: SS, WE, EA, MR, EQ, ID. Know how many points are in each category. To start, learn the WIMSEE chart .
2. Each and every code/standard applied to those credits
3. If and how exemplary performance points are achieved in each of those credits (See the LEED AP Exemplary Performance / ID Credit Breakdown )
4. Know the points for each certification rating (shown in sidebar on your right-hand side): certified, silver, gold, platinum
5. Project Registration
6. Project Certification
7. The Credit Interpretation Ruling process
8. The format of the test. Question types , what to expect, etc. This can be found in the LEED-AP Candidate Handbook .

Now you know what to study and where to grab all of the information you need to ace the exam. Read the candidate handbook, learn how to register for a test, and pick a date that gives you enough time to memorize everything mentioned above. It’ll force you to study, which is a good thing. Make flash cards, write notes, fill out the blank credit worksheet from memory , take a LEED course online, form a study group, whatever…just do it and pass the exam. Good luck! Cheers!-Patp.s. Come back often and check for updated tips at the top of the table of contents!