Dear Dhara

LEED is still a fairly new concept in India with less than 700 building registered. So unlike the US we do not have multiple disciplines under LEED. There is only one exam which directly awards you the LEED AP credentials but I understand that the American system will be introduced in the International Green building congress at Chennai in October.

There are no pre-requisites to appear for the exam, I have included additional information below. Having said that there is nothing stopping you from getting the American qualification which at this point in time is far more comprehensive. You will get additional information on www.USGBC.org and www.gbci.org.

With regards to your post graduation in the UK: Demonstration any knowledge of green building rating system will add weight to your application. UK follows a system called Building Research Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). Which incidentally is the first ever green building standard in the world developed in 1990 and LEED USA developed in 1998 itself is based substantially on BREEAM. Additional information on BREEAM AP can be found at http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?id=130

Unless you are planning to live and work in the UK I suggest you go in for the Indian LEED AP as it is easier and quicker to obtain and LEED is globally recognised and more widely used than BREEAM.

In India the LEED AP certification is awarded by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). Becoming a LEED AP in India is fairly straight forward and the exam itself is slightly less challenging than the one in the US. The first step is to register online with the IGBC. I have included the link below. You will be asked your preferred date and examination centre. The exam itself is conducted by a company called Meritrac and they will send in the examination pack which will contain all the information you need once IGBC receives your examination fee.

http://www.igbc.in/site/igbc/igbcapexam.jsp

The purpose of the exam is to test your knowledge of the LEED rating system along with your awareness of the environment and the impact of building(s) to its surrounding eco-system. Over 70% of the questions will come from the LEED India NC reference guide. For the remaining you will have to polish your general knowledge on green buildings, environmental impact of buildings on the environment etc. I do not recommend taking any paid classes to prepare for the exam but I suggest you take some sample tests before you take the actual exam to learn where you stand.

Hope this helps.

Related Advice:

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