Hi Kris, thanks for your questions regarding the LEED Green Associate exam.

GBCI, USGBC and the LEED Exam

The LEED professional credentials (the LEED Green Associate and the LEED AP) are administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) - not the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). However, USGBC provides LEED rating systems and other educational materials that you need to pass the exam.

So, you must take the LEED exam through GBCI, not USGBC - though you will need to reference USGBC's materials when studying for the exam. This means that you can register for the credential and prove your eligibility for the exam on GBCI's website, gbci.org.

There are no other organizations that offer these LEED credentials. However, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) does offer the IGBC AP, which is similar to a LEED credential, but also tests the candidate on rating systems unique to IGBC.

Green Associate: Prometric Testing Center Locations

Though GBCI administers the LEED credentials, Prometric administers the actual exam.

This means that you must schedule your exam time and location through Prometric. The exams are held in Prometric testing centers, which have locations around the world. To learn more about finding a testing center near you, see my previous article about Prometric exam locations.

The LEED exam is not offered online - only in Prometric's testing centers. However, many LEED exam prep courses and LEED practice tests can be taken 100% online. See green-building.com's list of LEED exam prep to learn more.

Qualifying for the LEED Green Associate Exam

As you may know, there are three ways to qualify for the LEED Green Associate Exam:

1. Involvement in a project registered for LEED certification OR
2. Current or previous employment in a sustainable field of work OR
3. Enrollment in or completion of a green building education program

Energy efficiency consulting should qualify as a "sustainable field of work". To prove this, you must provide a letter of attestation to GBCI. The letter should come from a supervisor or client, and should describe how the field of work relates to environmentalism or the green building industry.

To see the specific guidelines for the letter of attestation, see "Eligibility: LEED Green Associate" on GBCI's website.

Good luck, Kris! I hope this helps.

Related Advice:

• Free LEED Green Associate Study Guide



• Careers in Green Building: Should I Start with LEED Green Associate?



• Green Associate Exam: Six Things You Should Know Before Taking the Test