LEED ACTUAL EXAM PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉cradle to cradle. Answer: Closed system where materials are
reused at the end of their useful life. Continuous loop of reuse that
eliminates waste.
◉upstream activities. Answer: Related to the extraction of the raw
materials used in a product.
◉downstream activities. Answer: related to the processing of
materials all the way through to the delivery of the final product to
the end user
◉embodied energy. Answer: The total amount of energy used to
extract materials and manufacture, transport, install, and use a
product across its life cycle.
◉Triple Bottom Line. Answer: people, planet, and profit dimensions
of an organization in decision making. stakeholder approach, not
shareholder approach so that the bottom line for all parties can be
increased.
,◉no! any additional costs are recovered in long-term savings.
Answer: do green buildings cost more than nongreen buildings?
◉regenerative building. Answer: closed systems that use only as
much water and energy as they can produce
◉integrative process. Answer: A design process in which
multidisciplinary teams collaborate to meet sustainable design
objectives from the inception of a project to its completion.
◉discovery, implementation, occupancy. Answer: three phases of the
integrative design process
◉discovery phase. Answer: most critical phase of the entire building
design process. occurs before schematic design begins. team
members gather information relevant to the project and bring the
data to project meetings to inform the design process. (integrative
process phase)
◉implementation phase. Answer: integrative process phase where
team members compile and analyze the results of research relating
to system interactions between disciplines. then the building design
begins to develop.
,◉occupancy phase. Answer: integrative process phase where
performance assessment mechanisms are used to measure actual
building performance against expectations
◉1. conduct research and collect data within the scope of the work
2. analyze the data
3. share data analyses with team members at group workshops
4. receive feedbacks to identify synergies, wastes, and other
opportunities for savings and efficiency across all disciplines
5. create/refine design. Answer: 5 steps in the iterative process
◉negative feedback loop. Answer: A feedback loop that causes a
system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving
and self-correct
◉positive feedback loop. Answer: feedback loop that causes a
system to change further in the same direction (ex: climate change)
◉Prius effect. Answer: The effect of changed behavior as a result of
making information about a subject more visible and available (ex:
measuring energy efficiency increases energy efficiency)
◉leverage point. Answer: a point in a system in which a small
change can yield large results
, ◉new construction and major renovations, core and shell
development, schools, retail, data centers, warehouses and
distribution centers, hospitality, healthcare. Answer: rating systems
for LEED building design and construction (8)
◉commercial interiors, retail, hospitality. Answer: rating systems for
LEED interior design and construction (3)
◉existing buildings, retail, schools, hospitality, data centers,
warehouses and distribution centers. Answer: rating systems for
LEED building operations and maintenance (6)
◉homes and multifamily lowrise, multifamily midrise. Answer:
rating systems for LEED for homes (2)
◉plan, built project. Answer: rating systems for LEED neighborhood
development (2)
◉location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency,
energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor
environmental quality, innovation, regional priority. Answer: LEED
credit categories (8)
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉cradle to cradle. Answer: Closed system where materials are
reused at the end of their useful life. Continuous loop of reuse that
eliminates waste.
◉upstream activities. Answer: Related to the extraction of the raw
materials used in a product.
◉downstream activities. Answer: related to the processing of
materials all the way through to the delivery of the final product to
the end user
◉embodied energy. Answer: The total amount of energy used to
extract materials and manufacture, transport, install, and use a
product across its life cycle.
◉Triple Bottom Line. Answer: people, planet, and profit dimensions
of an organization in decision making. stakeholder approach, not
shareholder approach so that the bottom line for all parties can be
increased.
,◉no! any additional costs are recovered in long-term savings.
Answer: do green buildings cost more than nongreen buildings?
◉regenerative building. Answer: closed systems that use only as
much water and energy as they can produce
◉integrative process. Answer: A design process in which
multidisciplinary teams collaborate to meet sustainable design
objectives from the inception of a project to its completion.
◉discovery, implementation, occupancy. Answer: three phases of the
integrative design process
◉discovery phase. Answer: most critical phase of the entire building
design process. occurs before schematic design begins. team
members gather information relevant to the project and bring the
data to project meetings to inform the design process. (integrative
process phase)
◉implementation phase. Answer: integrative process phase where
team members compile and analyze the results of research relating
to system interactions between disciplines. then the building design
begins to develop.
,◉occupancy phase. Answer: integrative process phase where
performance assessment mechanisms are used to measure actual
building performance against expectations
◉1. conduct research and collect data within the scope of the work
2. analyze the data
3. share data analyses with team members at group workshops
4. receive feedbacks to identify synergies, wastes, and other
opportunities for savings and efficiency across all disciplines
5. create/refine design. Answer: 5 steps in the iterative process
◉negative feedback loop. Answer: A feedback loop that causes a
system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving
and self-correct
◉positive feedback loop. Answer: feedback loop that causes a
system to change further in the same direction (ex: climate change)
◉Prius effect. Answer: The effect of changed behavior as a result of
making information about a subject more visible and available (ex:
measuring energy efficiency increases energy efficiency)
◉leverage point. Answer: a point in a system in which a small
change can yield large results
, ◉new construction and major renovations, core and shell
development, schools, retail, data centers, warehouses and
distribution centers, hospitality, healthcare. Answer: rating systems
for LEED building design and construction (8)
◉commercial interiors, retail, hospitality. Answer: rating systems for
LEED interior design and construction (3)
◉existing buildings, retail, schools, hospitality, data centers,
warehouses and distribution centers. Answer: rating systems for
LEED building operations and maintenance (6)
◉homes and multifamily lowrise, multifamily midrise. Answer:
rating systems for LEED for homes (2)
◉plan, built project. Answer: rating systems for LEED neighborhood
development (2)
◉location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency,
energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor
environmental quality, innovation, regional priority. Answer: LEED
credit categories (8)
