Prepare to Pass the LEED Green Associate Test!

Join thousands of others who have used our LEED Green Associate prep materials to pass their test on the first time! >>Learn More

Advice provided by: Sarah Gudeman, LEED AP, EIT, Morrissey Engineering, Inc.

Share

Mike asks: If person has the relevant job experience on LEED certified construction projects, is it required to have a GREEN Associate certification prior to applying for and taking the LEED AP exam?

Answer: Mike, in short… yes. The new Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)-managed LEED AP testing process is set up to incorporate several items that were missing from the previous accreditation process: experience and accountability.

Too often titles are promoted as evidence of expertise, when in reality I believe only a minority of current LEED Accredited Professionals have had the opportunity to participate in a project that has actually earned LEED certification. While it’s certainly a benefit to a company to list a certain percentage of LEED Accredited Professionals on staff, we have to stop and ask ourselves, what value are we bringing to the client with these titles?

For those that are not current LEED APs, the GBCI accreditation process now requires two tests to become a full-fledged LEED Accredited Professional. First comes the Green Associate exam, with the LEED AP exam following.

LEED Green Associate Accreditation demonstrates a dedication to green building design and is now a building block towards becoming a LEED Accredited Professional. From the GBCI website, “to take the LEED Green Associate exam, you must have experience in the form of involvement on a LEED-registered project, employment (or previous employment) in a sustainable field of work, or engagement in (or completion of) an education program that addresses green building principles.”

Once you earn your LEED Green Associate accreditation, you’ll be able to build your LEED project resume and then take the LEED AP exam. If you take and pass the Green Associate exam before the three year window closes, you can use your current LEED project experience as a prerequisite for LEED AP exam application.

While it may seem unfair that so many professionals gained the LEED AP designation with only one test prior to the new version being released this past summer, the new requirements are intended to bring additional value and accountability to the LEED rating system and professional certifications, value to an owner, and higher pride and commitment to accreditation.

In fact, if you’re feeling up to it, you could take both the Green Associate and LEED Accredited Professional exams in one sitting ($300 for USGBC member company employees). The exam is comprised of two parts, each part contains 100 randomly delivered multiple choice questions and each part must be completed in 2 hours; total seat time for the Green Associate and LEED AP exam would therefore be 4 hours.

Make sure to check the Building Design & Construction Reference Handbook for more information in regard to the exam. The handbook is revised each month and released by the Green Building Certification Institute on the first business day of the month: http://www.gbci.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3671.