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.
Filed under: LEED Training | Tags: everblue, everblue training institute, gbci, leed ap, leed green associate, prometric testing center
The LEED Green Associate exam and the five LEED AP+ Specialty exams are each comprised of 100 multiple choice, multiple answer questions that must be completed in two hours. The exam is proctored at a Prometric Testing Center and is available to take six days a week, as the candidate schedules to take it.
Exam questions default to the best answer, and scores range from 125-200. Individuals receive a passing score when they have earned 170 points. Wrong answers do not count against the individual. Because it is a computer-based test, there are no scheduled breaks. Digital watches are not permitted, as calculators will be provided. Prometric will also provide scrap paper and pencils for any calculations.
Individuals should arrive 15 minutes early at the Prometric Testing Center and should bring a photo ID with the individual’s signature. Headphones and lockers will be available to individuals taking the exam. To register for the exam, visit www.GBCI.org.
For LEED Exam prep courses, visit Everblue Training Institute.
Filed under: leed exam | Tags: green associate, leed exam, leed exam prep, leed green associate, leed green associate exam
If you want to pursue LEED accreditation, then you have to be ready to do a little planning. You will have to meet certain eligibility requirements before you are even permitted to sit for the first LEED exam. To get the LEED AP+ designation you will have to sit for two exams. The first tier is the Green Associate exam, which is discussed in the following paragraphs.
To be eligible to take the first tier LEED exam, you must have documented proof meeting one of the following criteria.
Tier 1 LEED Exam Requires Some Green Experience
You must have experience on a LEED registered project. You must be involved in the project in some capacity. You can be heavily involved or you can be active on a more superficial level, and either one is acceptable as long as you are actively involved in a LEED registered project.
You must have experience working in a sustainable or green field of work. This experience can involve your current job if your employer is involved in the green movement in any way. The board is looking for any link to sustainability or environmentalism as it pertains to green construction. If you are an architect of engineer, then this requirement should not be at all difficult to meet. If instead you work for someone like a product manufacturer, the link may not be quite as obvious; so you may need to do a little explaining to explain how your company and your project are considered sustainable.
You must have taken classes that address green construction principles. What constitutes acceptable educational programs is still a little murky. GBCI is working on clarification, and obviously the higher the institution, the more likely that it will be an acceptable prerequisite for the Green Associate exam. For example, if you are studying sustainability at the university level, then you have a much better chance of this class being accepted as meeting the criteria than if you took a green sustainability class through your business and received a certificate of completion.
You must be able to present documentation proving that you meet at least one of the criteria listed above. There are a couple of acceptable forms of documentation are a letter from your supervisor or teacher describing your involvement in a LEED registered project. For the educational component, a completion certificate or an official transcript is also acceptable documentation. This documentation must be presented along with your application for the LEED exam.
Once you have met all of the requirements for the Green Associate exam, you are ready to begin your exam preparation with a provider like Everblue Training Institute. Give yourself some time to study for the test. The exam consists of 100 questions and it is administered over the course of two hours at a Prometric testing center. LEED exam results are returned to you immediately after the test, and once you pass the exam, you can add LEED Green Associate to your resume. Then you are ready to begin your test prep for the tier 2 LEED AP+ designation.
Filed under: LEED Training | Tags: leed, leed 2009, leed ap, leed exam, leed exam prep, leed green associate, leed online, LEED Training
Training for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) must be associated with the United States Green Building Counsel (USGBC). This can be accomplished by obtaining your training directly from the USGBC or indirectly through USGBC-approved Education Providers. All training options and sources provide you the opportunity to acquire the same comprehensive data; however, each means of LEED training offers its own unique set of perks and advantages. Through traditional, instructor-led LEED training, you will be able to benefit from the educators’ experience, set up connections with other participants, and receive a discounted LEED Reference Guide directly from the USGBC. Other training options include online courses governed by the USGBC which allow you to control the schedule of your training, webinars hosted by the USGBC which give you the chance to interact with experts in the industry, and participation in Education Provider Programs approved by the USGBC which allow you to take advantage of various learning arrangements. All training opportunities will fully prepare you for LEED credential assessments.
Training involves learning the environmental benefits as well as the financial requirements of LEED implementation. In addition, you should be exposed to the process by which you will obtain the monetary benefits of your LEED building project, such as tax rebates and zoning allowances. Also, by proper training in this area you will be more likely to bypass many of the potential situations that have proven to be counterproductive for many project developers seeking LEED certification. LEED training will provide you with a wealth of useful information applicable to projects with the goal of conserving energy, reducing carbon dioxide emanation, increasing the efficiency of water systems, and building in a manner that is environmentally responsible thus strengthening the quality of the indoor atmosphere while reducing the impact on the outdoor environment.
While much of the training for LEED certification relies heavily on the aspects of what the LEED system rates and how this rating benefits the project owner, you will also find out about the standards for eligibility pertaining to commercial buildings and residential buildings as well as the different types of LEED rating systems. LEED training establishes an understanding of what the USGBC’s goal and purpose are for LEED certification and sheds light on exactly what the expectations are of a LEED Accredited Professional. In conjunction with this material, you will also be presented with other general information concerning the most commonly accepted standard of environmentally conscious building. In the most basic sense, LEED training can provide you with a plethora of tips and ideas to aid you in finding opportunities to build greener projects or even re-green your existing commercial or residential institution. In the most specific sense, LEED training supplies the participant with a complete education on the process of LEED implementation, certification, benefits, and incentives.
