Intheleed.com - Tips and Tricks to Pass the LEED AP Exam

By special request, I have decided to tackle the four topics of LEED for your better understanding. Yay! I’ve been searching for new topics to write on, and this seems to be one that many people will hopefully benefit from.Ok, so - the questions on the LEED NC v2.2 exam are broken down into four sections. They are the following:

• Knowledge of LEED Credit Intents and Requirements
• Coordinate Project and Team
• Implement LEED Process
• Verify, Participate in, and Perform Technical Analyses Required for LEED

Each question on the exam is going to be from one of these four sections. You will not know (and you shouldn’t worry about) which questions on the exam fall under what category while you are taking the test. At the end of your exam, however, the testing program will tell you your percentage of correct answers in each category.Generally speaking, if you average about 65-70% within each category, you will pass. There may be some type of minimum percentage that you must get for each category, or else you automatically fail (i.e. at least 50% in each), but really there is no way to prove this - and you should be striving for 100% anyways, so let’s not worry about that either.

If you are taking any of the practice exams out there that happen to break down the questions into these separate categories, or if you have taken the LEED exam and have failed (keep trying, you’ll pass!), please take note of which section(s) you need work on. That way, you can spend the most time re-studying those sections of the test and hopefully improve. For your information, you will not get any of the exact questions on your retake, but some may be very similar.From there, you can use the following information about each particular section to help you study and focus on the categories that you need help in:

Knowledge of LEED-NC Credit Intents and Requirements

Summary:This is the basic “you better have your credits memorized” section.

What to Study:

• Memorize each of the credits and prerequisites. Know all of the intentions and strategies/technologies for each. You can use the credit summaries on the table of contents, along with the blank or semi-blank study guide to make sure you’ve got it down.
• Know about and memorize each of the opportunities for exemplary performance and innovation and design credit thresholds and percentages.

Sample Questions:

1. Which three of the following might contribute to WE Credit 1, Water Efficient Landscaping?
2. SS Prerequisite 1, Construction Activity Pollution Prevention, requires addressing which four of the following concerns?
3. Which two of the following are requirements for MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables?

Coordinate Project and Team

Summary:This section deals with the coordination between all trades, especially with any opportunities for integrated and/or credit synergies. For some reason, questions dealing mainly with codes and standards apply here too - probably because the LEED AP is the point of contact regarding each of these standards that all trades must meet in order to fulfill the credit/prerequisite’s requirements.

What to Study:

• Know who is involved with each credit. Study this handy-dandy chart credit decision makers.
• Know each of the codes and standards used. Again, use the blank or semi-blank study guide to help you memorize them. Be especially careful with the differences between each of the ASHRAE Standards.
• Understand the different opportunities for LEED Credit Synergies. Be especially concerned about vegetated roofs. They (almost) always appear on the test.

Sample Questions:

1. Which one of the following best describes the LEED Credit parameter(s) to which ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004 applies?
2. Which two of the following design-team members are most likely to play a significant tole in achieving EQ Credit 3.1, Construction IAQ Management Plan?
3. Which of the following team members best represents all of those that might offer meaningful input to an owner’s interest in a vegetated roof system?

Summary:This section is mostly all about how to manage a project from it’s initial registration with the USGBC, through the CIR and documentation process, and all the way to the appeal process.

What to study:

• Read and re-read everything I wrote in the LEED Project Registration, CIR and Appeal Process post. I heard that it’s pretty spot on.
• Get your hands on some letter templates. If you know anyone who is currently undergoing a LEED project, ask them how letter templates work. If not, you can visit this website from the Green Building Certification Institute.
• Find out, if you can, anything about the project administrator’s duties. I still have yet to find any good information about this, so if you do come across something useful, PLEASE let us all know!

Sample Questions:

1. An application for LEED Certification must contain two of the following:
2. What are two responsibilities of the contractor that support LEED documentation?
3. Credit Interpretation Rulings provide which two of the following?

Verify, Participate in, and Perform Technical Analyses Required for LEED Credits

Summary:This section is tricky. The USGBC lists the “content areas” of this section to be:

• Verify compliance of technical work products created by other team members.
• Participate in and guide the development of technical analyses with design professionals.
• Perform technical analyses to verify compliance with LEED-NC requirements.

Generally, I’ve noticed that this seems to be the section that most people perform the worst in. I think this section is really a combination of all of the other sections with a primary focus on those credits and situations where there is verification and calculations involved. The questions can get pretty nit-picky, and for some, you’ll only know the answers based on your construction and building experience, your knowledge from taking so many practice exams, and/or luck. That being said, a lot of the questions come from information that you should already know: the credit intents and calculations! It’s just worded a little differently, so you may have to think about the questions a little harder.

What to Study:

• Again, memorize each of the credits and prerequisites. Feel free to use the credit summaries on the table of contents, along with the blank or semi-blank study guide to make sure you’ve got it down.
• Know which credits have calculations and make sure you know how to perform them. (Credits dealing with FTE or number of plumbing fixtures especially!)
• Practice tests and more practice tests!

Sample Questions:

1. The design team has elected to pursue strategies addressing 50% of the hardscape surfaces on the site to meet the requirement of SS Credit 7.1, Heat Island Effect: Non-Roof. Which three of the following should the LEED AP verify?
2. Which of the following best represents an appropiate level of overall illumination on an office work surface, including daylighting, ambient artificial lighting, and task lighting?
3. In an office building, the design includes a rainwater harvesting system that collects 20,000 gallons of water each year. This water is used for flushing toilets. Which of the following information is needed to calculate the reduction in potable water demand for building sewage conveyance for achieving WE Credit 2, Wastewater Technologies?

If some of these questions scare you, don’t worry. Just stick with your gameplan, and follow the tactics that are described above. Don’t get yourself down if you have failed once before. Agression or doubt can get in the way of all the hard work you’ve put into this. Get familiar with the types of questions you need help on, study, and you’ll do great. I hope this breakdown has helped even just one of you.Best of luck!