LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This refers to rating systems developed by the United States Green Building Council to encourage sustainable design, construction and building operation practices. Points are earned that relate to sustainability, and levels are achieved and awarded to projects that earn certain numbers of points.

·         What was the LEED AP exam?

This question refers to the exams that were given before the LEED v3 changeover.  This an exam that will test your knowledge of one of the following rating systems: LEED NC, LEED CI or LEED EB.  The EB exam is closed and was retired late in 2008 and is closed.  The NC and CI exams are closed for registration and will retire at the end of June 2009.

·         What is the LEED AP exam now?

Click to the “LEED 2009 and LEED V3, what does it mean to me?” page for detailed information.

·         What do all of these acronyms stand for?

AP = Accredited Professional.

AP+ = Accredited Professional with a Specialty

NC = New Construction and Major Renovations rating system.

CI = Commercial Interiors rating system.

EB or EBOM = Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance rating system.

CS = Core and Shell rating system.

ND = Neighborhood Development rating system (scheduled for release late 2009 to early 2010).

O&M (or BO&M) = Green Buildings Operations and Maintenance rating system.  This replaces the EBOM rating system from before 2009.

BD&C = Green Building Design and Construction rating system.  This replaces and encompasses the NC, CS and Schools rating systems from before 2009.

ID&C = Green Interior Design and Construction rating system.  This replaces the CI rating system from before 2009.

·         What do I need to do in order to prepare for the exam?

See the section on “Tips and Tricks” for this information.

·         How many exams do I need to take to earn a LEED AP+ title?

Two.  The LEED AP+ exams are two part, with the first part being equal to the LEED Green Associate Exam.  If you’ve already passed the LEED Green Associate exam, you will not need to take the first part again.  More information on this is available at the GBCI website.

·         What I am already a LEED AP?

Click to the “LEED 2009 and LEED V3, what does it mean to me?” page for detailed information.

·         How is the exam scored?

This is taken from the USGBC Professional Accreditation Handbook: “Examination raw scores are converted to a scaled score that ranges from a low of 125 to a high of 200 with a passing score set to 170. The scaled score is reported in the score report that received at the test site following completion of your exam. Note that the scaled score is neither the number of items correct nor percentage correct. Raw scores are converted to scaled score much like the conversion of height from inches to centimeters. USGBC reports scaled scores so that candidates know that a passing score of 170 is required to pass on each exam. In this way, confusion about what is required to become a LEED AP is avoided.”

This seems a little cryptic, but here is the interpretation by LEEDsource: Point scale of 125 to 200 = 75 points available. 80 questions means each questions is worth (75/80) .9375 points. Minimum 45 points required to pass (125 + 45 = 170). 48 questions must be answered correctly to pass, or 60%.

Another speculation is that 5 questions are dropped, possibly at random, leaving 75 questions that count for 1 point each. This means: Point scale of 125 to 200 = 75 points available. Minimum 45 points required to pass (125 + 45 = 170). In order to guarantee a pass 50 questions must be answered correctly, in case the 5 questions that are dropped are amongst the correctly answered questions. 50 / 80 = 62.5%

The truth is that the points are weighted to the difficulty of the question.  This means every exam is scored differently.  The best thing that you can do is know the material as best you can.  LEEDsource recommends that you strive to achieve at least 75% on any practice or mock exams.  This will not guarantee that you will pass, so you will need to reach a comfort level that is right for you.