LEED GA V.4 Exam Specification

Exam Specifications

The following outline provides a general description of exam content areas for the LEED Green Associate exam.

Knowledge Domains reflect the rating systems’ credit categories and what one needs to know as a LEED Green Associate.

The LEED Green Associate exam tests your general knowledge of green building practices for both commercial and residential spaces and both new construction and existing buildings as well as how to support other professionals working on LEED projects.

Knowledge Domains

1. LEED Process (16 Questions)

A. Organization fundamentals (e.g., mission/vision; non-profit; role of USGBC/GBCI)

B. Structure of LEED rating systems (e.g., credit categories; prerequisites; credits and/ or Minimum Program Requirements for LEED certification)

C. Scope of each LEED rating system (e.g., rating system selection; rating system families [BD+C, ID+C, O+M, ND, Homes])

D. LEED development process (e.g., consensus-based; stakeholder and volunteer involvement; rating system updates/evolution)

E. Credit categories (e.g., goals and objectives of each [LT, SS, WE, EA, MR, EQ, IN, RP]; synergies)

F. Impact categories (e.g., what should a LEED project accomplish?)

G. LEED certification process (e.g., certification levels [Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum]; LEED Scorecard; third party verification; role of documentation submission; LEED Interpretations; Addenda; awareness of different system versions [e.g., LEED Online]; components of LEED Online and Project Registration)

H. Other rating systems (e.g., in general, what other rating systems are out there?)

2. Integrative Strategies (8 Questions)

A. Integrative process (e.g., early analysis of the interrelationships among systems; systems thinking; charrettes)

B. Integrative project team members (e.g., architect; engineer; landscape architect; civil engineer; contractor; facility manager, etc.)

C. Standards that support LEED (e.g., breadth not depth of American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers [ASHRAE]; Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association [SMACNA] guidelines; Green Seal; ENERGY STAR®; HERs; Reference Standards listed in ACPs, etc.)

3. Location and Transportation (7 Questions)

A. Site selection (e.g., targeting sites in previously developed and brownfields/high- priority designation area; avoiding sensitive habitat; located in areas with existing infrastructure and nearby uses; reduction in parking footprint)

B. Alternative transportation (e.g., type, access and quality; infrastructure and design)

4. Sustainable Sites (7 Questions)

A. Site assessment (e.g., environmental assessment; human impact)

B. Site design and development (e.g., construction activity pollution prevention; habitat conservation and restoration; exterior open space; rainwater management; exterior lighting; heat island reduction)

5. Water Efficiency (9 Questions)

A. Outdoor water use (e.g., use of graywater/rainwater in irrigation; use of native and adaptive species)

B. Indoor water use (e.g., concepts of low flow/waterless fixtures; water-efficient appliances; types and quality)

C. Water performance management (e.g., measurement and monitoring)

6. Energy and Atmosphere (10 Questions)

A. Building loads (e.g., building components; space usage [private office, individual space, shared multi- occupant spaces])

B. Energy efficiency (e.g., basic concepts of design; operational energy efficiency; commissioning; energy auditing)

C. Alternative and renewable energy practices (e.g., demand response; renewable energy; green power; carbon offsets)

D. Energy performance management (e.g., energy use measurement and monitoring; building automation controls/advanced energy metering; operations and management; benchmarking; ENERGY STAR)

E. Environmental concerns (e.g., sources and energy resources; greenhouse gases; global warming potential; resource depletion; ozone depletion)

7. Materials and Resources (9 Questions)

A. Reuse (e.g., building reuse; material reuse; interior reuse; furniture reuse)

B. Life-cycle impacts (e.g., concept of life-cycle assessment; material attributes; human and ecological health impacts; design for flexibility)

C. Waste (e.g., construction and demolition; maintenance and renovation; operations and ongoing; waste management plan)

D. Purchasing and declarations (e.g., purchasing policies and plans; environmental preferable purchasing (EPP); building product disclosure and optimization [i.e., raw materials sourcing, material ingredients, environmental product disclosure])

8. Indoor Environmental Quality (8 Questions)

A. Indoor air quality (e.g., ventilation levels; tobacco smoke control; management of and improvements to indoor air quality; low-emitting materials; green cleaning)

B. Lighting (e.g., electric lighting quality; daylight)

C. Sound (e.g., acoustics)

D. Occupant comfort, health, and satisfaction (e.g., controllability of systems; thermal comfort design; quality of views; assessment/survey)

9. Project Surroundings and Public Outreach (11 Questions)

A. Environmental impacts of the built environment (e.g., energy and resource use in conventional buildings; necessity of green buildings; environmental externalities; triple bottom line)

B. Codes (e.g., relationship between LEED and codes [building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire protection]; green building codes)

C. Values of sustainable design (e.g., energy savings over time; healthier occupants; money-saving incentives; costs [hard costs, soft costs]; life cycle)

D. Regional design (e.g., regional green design and construction measures as appropriate; regional emphasis should be placed in Sustainable Sites and Materials & Resources)