LEED Process
20%of exam
Integrative Planning
7%of exam
Integrative PlanningCharretteSystems ThinkingLife-Cycle Cost
Location + Sites
19%of exam
LocationTransportationSustainable SitesRainwaterHeat Island
Water + Energy
28%of exam
Materials + IEQ
26%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- LEED Green Associate
- Version
- v5 beta live
- Questions
- 100 MCQ
- Time
- 2 hours
- Pass
- 170 scaled
- Vendor
- Prometric
- Fee
- $250 standard
- Maintenance
- 15 CE hours
Certification Ladder
C-S-G-P climbs 40, 50, 60, 80.
Certified 40Silver 50Gold 60Platinum 80
USGBC vs GBCI
USGBC
- Develops LEED
- Education resources
- Member organization
GBCI
- Administers exams
- Reviews projects
- Maintains credentials
Develops vs administers
Process Picker
- Choose project path→Rating system
- Start certification→Register early
- Track points→Scorecard
- Submit documentation→LEED Online
- Credit denied→Appeal
- Need official clarification→Interpretation
Exam Logistics
- Delivery
- Test center or remote
- Remote
- Prometric ProProctor
- Appointment
- About 140 minutes
- Open-book
- No references
- Student fee
- $100 eligible students
- Member fee
- $200 USGBC members
Prerequisite vs Credit
Prerequisite
- Mandatory
- No optional points
- Required for certification
Credit
- Optional
- Earns points
- Supports certification level
Must do vs choose
V5 Transition
- V4 last test
- April 26 2026
- V5 beta start
- April 28 2026
- Data phase
- Apr 28-Jun 30
- Testing-only
- July-September 2026
- Beta scores
- Expected October 2026
- Beta language
- English standalone
Design vs Construction Review
Design review
- Design intent
- Earlier feedback
- Before completion
Construction review
- Actual implementation
- As-built proof
- After construction
Intent vs proof
LEED Basics
- LEED
- Green building rating
- USGBC
- Develops LEED
- GBCI
- Administers credentials
- Prerequisite
- Mandatory requirement
- Credit
- Optional points
- Innovation
- Novel strategy
Certification Levels
- Certified
- 40-49 points
- Silver
- 50-59 points
- Gold
- 60-79 points
- Platinum
- 80+ points
- Base scale
- 100 core points
- Regional Priority
- Location bonus points
Rating Systems
- BD+C
- New buildings
- ID+C
- Interior fit-outs
- O+M
- Existing operations
- ND
- Neighborhood projects
- Homes
- Residential projects
- Cities
- Community performance
Triple Bottom Line
People, planet, profit stay balanced.
SocialEnvironmentalEconomic
LCA vs LCCA
LCA
- Environmental impacts
- Cradle-to-grave
- Materials focus
LCCA
- Economic costs
- Operating costs
- Decision support
Impact vs cost
Integrative Tools
- Charrette
- Early stakeholder workshop
- OPR
- Owner requirements
- BOD
- Design basis
- Systems thinking
- Whole-building links
- Synergy
- One strategy, many benefits
- LCCA
- Full-cost comparison
Location + Sites
- Sensitive land
- Avoid disturbance
- Infill
- Use existing infrastructure
- Transit access
- Reduce VMT
- Open space
- Outdoor occupant benefit
- Heat island
- Hot surfaces
- Light pollution
- Night sky spill
Efficiency Order
Reduce load before adding supply.
PassiveEfficiencyRenewablesOffsets
Graywater vs Rainwater
Graywater
- Used building water
- Non-toilet sources
- Treatment needed
Rainwater
- Captured precipitation
- Roof or site
- Reduces runoff
Reuse vs capture
Strategy Picker
- Highest climate impact→Energy first
- Reduce demand→Passive design
- Verify performance→Commissioning
- Cut potable use→Efficient fixtures
- Track leaks→Submetering
- Lower peak→Demand response
Water Efficiency
- Outdoor water
- Irrigation demand
- Indoor water
- Fixture demand
- Process water
- Equipment demand
- Graywater
- Reusable wastewater
- Rainwater
- Captured precipitation
- Metering
- Track consumption
Energy + Atmosphere
- Passive design
- Reduce loads first
- Commissioning
- Verify systems
- Energy model
- Predict performance
- Renewables
- Low-carbon supply
- Refrigerants
- Ozone and GWP
- Demand response
- Shift peak load
Materials Hierarchy
Reuse beats recycling; disclosure informs selection.
ReuseReduceRecycleDisclose
EPD vs HPD
EPD
- Environmental impacts
- LCA-based
- Carbon relevance
HPD
- Material ingredients
- Health disclosure
- Transparency focus
Impact vs ingredients
Category Picker
- Product impacts matter→EPD
- Ingredients matter→HPD
- Existing structure remains→Reuse
- Construction debris→Waste management
- Odors and VOCs→Low-emitting
- Noise complaints→Acoustics
Materials + Resources
- LCA
- Life-cycle impacts
- EPD
- Product impact disclosure
- HPD
- Ingredient disclosure
- Reuse
- Keep existing materials
- Recycling
- Recover material value
- Waste plan
- Divert construction waste
Indoor Quality
- IAQ
- Indoor air quality
- Ventilation
- Outdoor air supply
- Filtration
- Remove particulates
- Low-emitting
- Reduce VOCs
- Daylight
- Useful natural light
- Thermal comfort
- Occupant temperature satisfaction
Common Traps
Scaled Score
170 scaled score ≠ Not raw percentage
Beta Results
Delayed score reports ≠ Not instant pass
Credential Eligibility
Open to all ≠ Experience recommended
LEED And Code
LEED is voluntary ≠ Codes still mandatory
Prerequisites
All prerequisites required ≠ Credits are optional
Remote Testing
ProProctor rules apply ≠ Not unproctored home test
Last Minute
- 1.100 MCQ; two hours
- 2.Prometric test center or remote
- 3.170 is scaled passing score
- 4.V5 beta scores are delayed
- 5.USGBC develops; GBCI administers
- 6.Prerequisites mandatory; credits optional
- 7.Certified starts at 40 points
- 8.Use integrative process early
- 9.Reduce loads before renewables
- 10.EPD impacts; HPD ingredients
Buy on Amazon
Take courses on Udemy
Study guide on MometrixSame family resources
Explore More LEED Credentials
Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.
More From This Family
Videos and articles for deeper review.