LEED Green Associate Exam Questions With
Answers Graded A+ @ 2023
What are the three tiers of LEED AP designation?
LEED Green Associate
LEED AP with Specialty
LEED AP Fellow
What are the five AP specialty designations?
BD&C (Building Design and Construction)
ID&C (Interior Design and Construction)
O&M (Operations and Maintenance)
Homes
ND (Neighborhood Development)
Describe the responsibilities of GBCI and USGBC with respect to LEED.
GBCI-Administers the LEED credentials, oversees evaluation of project applications and
determinations of LEED certifications
USGBC-Responsible for development of LEED rating systems, publication of the LEED reference
guides, and educational programming
How many hours of continuing education must a LEED Green Associate complete biennially?
15 hours (3 hours must be LEED specific)
There is also a $50 fee biennially
What does opt in mean in regard to LEED credentials?
Signing the GBCI disciplinary policy and agreeing to participate in the credentialing maintenance
program. If you don't opt in, you will not have a specialty designation (This applies to those who were
already LEED AP prior to the 2009 changes)
What are the LEED rating systems and how should they be applied to projects?
LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED NC)- applies to entire commercial buildings
such as offices, retail store, hotels, institutional facilities (such as libraries and churches), and
residential buildings with four or more habitable stories.
LEED for Core & Shell Development (LEED CS)- designed to complement the LEED for Commercial
Interiors rating system (It covers core building elements such as structure, building envelope, and
HVAC systems)
LEED for Schools (LEED S)-used for certification of K-12 educational facilities and can also be used for
prekindergarten or post-secondary buildings
LEED for Healthcare (LEED HC)- used for inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care facilities
LEED for Retail: New Construction (LEED R-NC)- adapted to the needs of the retail environment
LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED CI)- used for certification of tenant spaces in commercial and
institutional buildings
LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors (LEED R-CI)- interior retail spaces
, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED EBO&M)- designed to encourage
sustainable maintenance, cleaning, and operation of existing commercial structures.
LEED for Homes (LEED H)- applies to single family homes and low-rise residential construction (fewer
than 4 stories)
LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND)- emphasizes the elements of site selection, design,
and construction that create vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods
List four things that are new to the LEED 2009 rating system.
1. Revised rating systems were released for LEED NC, LEED CI, LEED CS, LEED EBO&M, and LEED S.
2. Upgrades were made to LEED Online to improve and streamline the application process and help
resolve technical problems.
3. Responsibilities for building certification were assigned to GBCI.
4. The LEED AP credentialing program was comprehensively revised, including the launch of the tiered
credentialing system administered by GBCI.
5. New rating systems were announced for health care, retail, existing schools, and neighborhood
development.
What are the seven credit categories of the LEED rating systems?
Sustainable Sites (SS)
Water Efficiency (WE)
Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
Materials and Resources (MR)
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
Innovation in Design/Operations (ID or IO)
Regional Priority (RP)
What does balloting mean in regard to the LEED rating systems?
When a new version of a rating system is being drafted, after the 2 comment periods are complete,
the revisions to the rating system are put to a vote and all USGBC members are encouraged to submit
a vote for or against the approval of the revisions.
Which credit category offers the most points in the LEED rating systems?
Energy and Atmosphere
How many points must a commercial project achieve to become Certified? Silver? Gold? Platinum?
Certified: 40-49 points
Silver: 50-59 points
Gold: 60-79 points
Platinum: 80+ points
What is LEED Online?
LEED Online is a repository for information and documentation gathered during the design and
construction phases. The online tools can assist in performing calculations, organizing the efforts of
project team members, and summarizing the approaches that have been taken to earn points.
Answers Graded A+ @ 2023
What are the three tiers of LEED AP designation?
LEED Green Associate
LEED AP with Specialty
LEED AP Fellow
What are the five AP specialty designations?
BD&C (Building Design and Construction)
ID&C (Interior Design and Construction)
O&M (Operations and Maintenance)
Homes
ND (Neighborhood Development)
Describe the responsibilities of GBCI and USGBC with respect to LEED.
GBCI-Administers the LEED credentials, oversees evaluation of project applications and
determinations of LEED certifications
USGBC-Responsible for development of LEED rating systems, publication of the LEED reference
guides, and educational programming
How many hours of continuing education must a LEED Green Associate complete biennially?
15 hours (3 hours must be LEED specific)
There is also a $50 fee biennially
What does opt in mean in regard to LEED credentials?
Signing the GBCI disciplinary policy and agreeing to participate in the credentialing maintenance
program. If you don't opt in, you will not have a specialty designation (This applies to those who were
already LEED AP prior to the 2009 changes)
What are the LEED rating systems and how should they be applied to projects?
LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED NC)- applies to entire commercial buildings
such as offices, retail store, hotels, institutional facilities (such as libraries and churches), and
residential buildings with four or more habitable stories.
LEED for Core & Shell Development (LEED CS)- designed to complement the LEED for Commercial
Interiors rating system (It covers core building elements such as structure, building envelope, and
HVAC systems)
LEED for Schools (LEED S)-used for certification of K-12 educational facilities and can also be used for
prekindergarten or post-secondary buildings
LEED for Healthcare (LEED HC)- used for inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care facilities
LEED for Retail: New Construction (LEED R-NC)- adapted to the needs of the retail environment
LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED CI)- used for certification of tenant spaces in commercial and
institutional buildings
LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors (LEED R-CI)- interior retail spaces
, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED EBO&M)- designed to encourage
sustainable maintenance, cleaning, and operation of existing commercial structures.
LEED for Homes (LEED H)- applies to single family homes and low-rise residential construction (fewer
than 4 stories)
LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND)- emphasizes the elements of site selection, design,
and construction that create vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods
List four things that are new to the LEED 2009 rating system.
1. Revised rating systems were released for LEED NC, LEED CI, LEED CS, LEED EBO&M, and LEED S.
2. Upgrades were made to LEED Online to improve and streamline the application process and help
resolve technical problems.
3. Responsibilities for building certification were assigned to GBCI.
4. The LEED AP credentialing program was comprehensively revised, including the launch of the tiered
credentialing system administered by GBCI.
5. New rating systems were announced for health care, retail, existing schools, and neighborhood
development.
What are the seven credit categories of the LEED rating systems?
Sustainable Sites (SS)
Water Efficiency (WE)
Energy and Atmosphere (EA)
Materials and Resources (MR)
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
Innovation in Design/Operations (ID or IO)
Regional Priority (RP)
What does balloting mean in regard to the LEED rating systems?
When a new version of a rating system is being drafted, after the 2 comment periods are complete,
the revisions to the rating system are put to a vote and all USGBC members are encouraged to submit
a vote for or against the approval of the revisions.
Which credit category offers the most points in the LEED rating systems?
Energy and Atmosphere
How many points must a commercial project achieve to become Certified? Silver? Gold? Platinum?
Certified: 40-49 points
Silver: 50-59 points
Gold: 60-79 points
Platinum: 80+ points
What is LEED Online?
LEED Online is a repository for information and documentation gathered during the design and
construction phases. The online tools can assist in performing calculations, organizing the efforts of
project team members, and summarizing the approaches that have been taken to earn points.
