Gary says:

I am considering going for the LEED AP +OM and in some of the documentation that I have read it appears that you need to have worked on a LEED Project in the last 3 years. I am an independent consultant in the UK and see great value in have LEED AP certification (especially for the international market), but I haven't worked on a LEED project directly. Will this stop me becoming a LEED AP?

Answer:
Hi Gary,

According to the GBCI, the requirements to take a LEED AP+ exam are to:

1. Agree to the disciplinary policy and Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) as outlined at www.gbci.org.

2. Document professional experience on a LEED project, within the last 3 years, with verification through LEED Online or employer attestation and

3. Submit to an application audit. Five to seven percent of all applications will be audited; you will be notified immediately if you are chosen for an audit and will be advised of your eligibility within 14 days.

However, the first step is to sit for the LEED GA (LEED Green Associate exam) which is the Tier I credential in LEED after June 30th, 2009.

To earn the LEED GA, like the LEED AP credential, there is an experience/education requirement which you may find out more about here, but it is easily met.

In terms of gaining experience on a LEED Certification project, there are programs being developed to provide candidates with direct job exposure to LEED Certification projects in order to fulfill the requirement... however they are not free. Unlike in a job where you would be paid to work, these programs are often flipped on their heads and candidates must pay for the experience. A tough sell in this economic environment, just to earn a credential.

We've been following some of these and will report on them in the next week or so. Once you've fulfilled this requirement, you may sit for your LEED AP+ exam in Operations and Maintenance (aka Existing Buildings: O+M) and earn that credential.

Good luck!
Green-Buildings.com

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