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Advice provided by: Rob Freeman Jr, LEED AP, Green-Buildings.com

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Peter asks: Do you need to take the green associate program before the GBO&M if GBO&M is all you are looking for? Is there a location in Canada that the exam can be done?

Answer: Hi Peter, thanks for the question. If by "program" you mean exam, the answer is yes, you have to take the LEED Green Associate exam before you can take the LEED AP exam for the Operations and Maintenance (O+M) specialty (but only if you're in the U.S.)

You may take the LEED Green Associate exam first separately and if you pass you may take the LEED AP O+M exam afterwards. You may also go straight to the LEED AP O+M exam if you like assuming you have fulfilled the prerequisites, however, you will have to take the LEED Green Associate (Tier I) exam first during that same exam session before taking your specialty portion for the O+M.

While there have been LEED Green Associate "sightings" in the Great White North, none has ever been photographed, to our knowledge. Indeed, these reports of LEED Green Associates in Canada remain unsubstantiated by any reputable sources... so we believe that the LEED Green Associate credential in Canada is just a legend.

But being that we're an open minded bunch here at Green-Buildings.com, we called up Manfred Jodocus, an expert on woodland primate sightings, and he said that while he had once actively tracked a Canadian LEED Green Associate in the wild for several days, he had lost the scent near a Tim Hortons on the U.S./Canadian border.

So, alas, Canada seems to be a deal breaker for the LEED Green Associate set. Actually, there is not even a LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (i.e. O+M) specialty track in Canada (we asked Mr. Jodocus about this as well), only the LEED Canada for New Construction or LEED Canada for Commercial Interiors.

So, you if you're up in Canada somewhere, you only need to take one exam, but it's not EB O+M.

Good luck!