Filed under: leed exam | Tags: leed accreditation, leed ap section, leed ap+ specialty, leed credential, leed exam, leed ga section, leed green associate
The LEED Green Associate standard is a step below LEED AP+. It is for individuals that want to have some recognition of expertise in green building (product manufacturers, marketers, students, etc). The exam for this level of certification is 2 hours in length, with 100 questions. It covers basic green building knowledge and does not require the in-depth knowledge necessary to build a LEED building.
The LEED AP + Specialty exams are an additional 2 hours for each one of the five specialization tracks available. The five LEED AP + Specialty tracks are:
LEED AP Interior Design + Construction (ID+C): Previously Commercial Interiors (CI)
LEED AP Homes: Homes
LEED AP Operations & Maintenance: Previously Existing Buildings (EB)
LEED AP Neighborhood Development (ND)
LEED AP Building Design + Construction: Previously New Construction (NC)
You may take as many LEED AP exams as you would like, but you only have to take one to achieve the LEED AP+ Specialty status.
It is possible to take the LEED Green Associate and the LEED AP+ Specialty separately or together in the same sitting. If you decide to take them together, keep this in mind: You will be without a credential if you pass the LEED GA portion and fail the LEED AP portion. You may sign up again to retake the exam, and since you passed the LEED GA portion the first time around, you’ll only have to take the LEED AP exam portion. It will only be at this point (upon passage of the LEED AP section) that you can consider yourself accredited.
For example, if you take them together and fail the AP BD&C part, you will be not allowed to claim the Green Associate credential.
It is my recommendation to take these exams separately. It will be less overwhelming to take two 2-hour exams on different days than to take one 4-hour exam in one sitting. Once you pass the LEED GA Exam, you will be a LEED Green Associate. You can choose to stop right there and still remain accredited. It will then be up to you to pursue the additional LEED AP accreditation.
For more information about LEED 2009 accreditation standards, visit the Everblue Training Institute web site.
