My LEED AP Exam Post-Test Evaluation & Brain Dump

March 3, 2008 – 11:06pm

I’m sorry it took a little while to post the results of my test this morning. I was out getting lunch with my Dad…to celebrate! That’s right, I passed!

I’m so relieved that it’s finally over and I can get back to my normal life again, but honestly all of the studying really paid off. I scored a 185 which was the result of an average 80-85% in each of the 4 categories tested. I’m pretty happy with that. My lowest scored category, however, was in the Knowledge of LEED Credit Intents and Requirements section in which I only scored a 76%. This was a definite surprise to me since I thought I knew the LEED credits like the back of my hand. I am notorious for being a bad multiple-choice test taker (I tend to think too much and perform reverse psychology on myself) so maybe that had something to do with it.

The test questions were definitely NOT straightforward. A lot were very wordy and you really had to focus and take a closer look while reading the questions to determine exactly what they were looking for. I would compare them to be most similar to the sample questions on the greenexamprep.com website and the Colorado Chapter Study Guide. I’m not really one for endorsing products, but I must say the greenexamprep.com tests helped me out A TON. The test questions on there are very tough and nit-picky, but they are good at preparing you for test and for things that aren’t exactly said straight-out in any guides. Plus, the tests are taken on the computer exactly like on test day - and you get 4 different tests with different questions to take as many times as you like for a certain amount of days. I’ve heard lots mixed reviews about the greenexamprep.com tests - but they get a thumbs up from me.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik

Based on the GCBI LEED AP Handbook, I’m not really allowed to post any test questions or content I’ve seen here. I will give you some of the topics that I believe “I should of studied more of.” (*wink) Note: I have no clue how many versions of the test there are or if the following “topics I should of studied more of” are covered in each. This is just my opinion (in no particular order):

I kept the braindump below from when I started studying back in January-ish. I put it here for you because it sums of a lot of good information that I found to be true after taking the test. Again, this isn’t mine (I think it’s from a guy named TAD) - but it’s here for your use:

Post Test Brain Dump (3877)

A few last things to consider after taking the Exam:

  • Make sure you put the correct address into Google Maps. I got lost on the way to the exam this morning.
  • You get a locker to empty your pockets into before the exam. Make sure you bring your ID.
  • You will be videotaped the entire time (or at least I was) during the exam by prometric. Think twice before cheating (and picking your nose).
  • At my testing facility, I had the option at any time during the exam to wear these orange sound-deadening earmuffs. I think I looked pretty cool.
  • After sitting at your computer before you start, take a deep breath and relax. You got this!

Lastly, I just wanted to thank you all for your help. Your encouragement and involvement with INTHELEED has kept me studying hard and wanting to figure out a way to neatly organize this fairly dense LEED information - for myself and for you. Thank you for back-checking the material on the website and being open to communication with me and other’s in the community. Be sure that I’m not done with the website and I’ll be posting new things as I figure them out or you suggest them to me. Architectural License? We’ll see…

Much Love - Best of Luck - and Cheers!

-Pat (webmaster@intheleed.com)
p.s. any questions? leave a comment

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  1. 90 Responses to “My LEED AP Exam Post-Test Evaluation & Brain Dump”

  2. Congratulations, Pat!

    We wouldn’t have expected anything else.

    By Adam on Mar 3, 2008

  3. PS - did you do a pre-exam brain dump?

    If so, what did you jot down?

    By Adam on Mar 3, 2008

  4. WAY TOO GO PAT….
    Nice Score!!!!

    I’ve been following your blog since it’s creation and i’ve enjoyed it. I take my test for the second time on Friday, hope to blow it out of the water this time.

    By Vincent on Mar 4, 2008

  5. Congratulations!
    Could you tell us how long each day you dedicated to studying? I am taking the exam in 2.5 weeks and have read (but not memorized) most of the reference guide. I am considering postponing the test…after seeing how extensive these questions are.

    By Katia on Mar 4, 2008

  6. To Adam:
    Thanks man! I did do a pre-exam braindump. I’ll post that next sometime tomorrow. I wasn’t allowed to take my scartch paper out of the testing facility so I’ll have to do it again. It was a lot smaller (and messier) than the practice ones I did at home before the test. I guess I was a bit nervous and couldn’t jot everything down. Check back tomorrow =)

    To Vincent:
    Hey Thanks for following my blog and I’m glad you enjoy it. I’m trying to make the incredibly dense material a little bit more fun and easier for people to get through. Good luck on your test friday. Just breath and relax and you’ll definitely blow it out of the water.

    To Katia:
    Thanks! Well, starting in January I opened the reference book for the first time. With about a month to go I made sure I put about 3 hours each day for studying - and this doesn’t include time spent on the website which also helped me as well. Maybe I went a little overboard, but i think it payed off. I was planning on taking it in February, but for the same reasons as you are thinking, I postponed it until March 1st, then again postponed it until March 3rd (because I thought Monday would be a better day after having the weekend to go hardcore). I only paid the postponing fee (30 bucks) once though because I hadn’t signed up yet when I decided to switch it to March 1st. Good luck!

    By Pat on Mar 4, 2008

  7. Congratulations Pat!
    I am sure it is a relief to be done with the exam.
    Thanks again for taking the time to organize all this information. It is very helpful.
    Do you have any idea where to look up info for the Project AdministratorDuties?

    By rw on Mar 4, 2008

  8. Hey Rw,

    Thanks! Yes it is a great relief. I kind of feel like I’m supposed to study something tonight. It’s a weird feeling.

    Anyways, It’s my pleasure to make this website. It’s fun and I’m learning a lot about blogging and the internet and such. I’m thinking about starting another one soon.

    As far as Project Administrator Duties, I’m not sure where I can get that information. My best bet would be to ask a LEED AP who has done a project or two. It would of been helpful too if I has gotten access to LEED Online for a real project to see how the credit templates and stuff work. Then maybe I’d fully understand it. Let me know if you (or anybody) has found any information.

    =)

    By Pat on Mar 4, 2008

  9. Congratulations, Pat!
    Well I also did my exam on Sunday and I want to thank you for your website which helped me alot. I spent only 5 days straight before the exam but did not have time to do any mock exams. well I scored only 161 which was not too bad for the effort I spent although I did study hard. But I guess the reason was the fact that 70% of the questions were very tricky.

    Congratulations again, you deserve it!

    By ASH on Mar 4, 2008

  10. I wanted to let you know I found your site on Sunday morning as I was preparing to take this test yesterday morning. It took my a while going through every page to realize we’d be taking it at the exact same time. Anyway, I passed with a similar 183 thanks in part to your site and the practice tests on the ARE forum http://FTP.

    By Marc on Mar 4, 2008

  11. Hey Marc,

    Congratulations on passing the exam! I’m glad I helped you out as much as I could.

    By Pat on Mar 4, 2008

  12. Congratulations!!!

    I’m just starting to study, and found your blog yesterday while you might have been taking the exam. I’m happy that you passed, though it looked like it wasn’t easy. I’m preparing by myself, did you ever take workshops, virtual classes or anything like that?

    Again, congratulations and thanks for keeping this blog up.

    By el chato heston on Mar 4, 2008

  13. Hi El Chato Heston,

    Thanks! I’m so relieved that it’s over. All of the studying really helped andeven then the test wasn’t easy as pie. I actually took an introductory LEED course that was sponsored by a local engineering firm. I had already studied for a couple of weeks when this happened, and honestly - it was like a review of everything that I had already read by then - and I didn’t find it any more useful than just cracking down on some study guides. If you are just starting out though, and have the opportunity to take a class or workshop - it would never hurt.

    Good luck on your studies, let me know how it’s going or if you have any questions.

    By Pat on Mar 5, 2008

  14. Pat,

    Your website is extremely helpful in studying for LEED. I was wondering if you had actually job experience with LEED or if you just learned the material from books. Congrats on passing the test. I hope to say the same thing next month.

    By Crissy on Mar 5, 2008

  15. Crissy,

    I’m glad the website is proving to be helpful to you. I have yet to work on an actual LEED project in my life - although I hope I will be able to very soon now that I’m a LEED AP. I learned all the material from the reference guide, various study guides and various practice exams. This being said, I think that if I had access to the LEED Online system (the method and platform that buildings and projects become leed certified) it would of helped tremendously. Good luck Crissy! Let me know how you’re progressing or if you have any questions!

    By Pat on Mar 5, 2008

  16. Pat,
    again thanks for the website!!!

    I passed, not blowing it out of the water but passing. Your website SURE helped!

    Keep up the great work..

    By Vincent on Mar 8, 2008

  17. Hey Pat, thanks for the site! I’m testing Friday and was looking to see if you had rewritten your pre-test brain dump…

    By Amber on Mar 12, 2008

  18. To Vincent:

    Congratulations! I’m glad I could be of some help to you! =)

    To Amber:

    Ahh yes, the pre-test brain dump. I must have overlooked that, thank you. I will post something about it either tonight or tomorrow. Check back for it. Good luck on Friday!

    By Pat on Mar 12, 2008

  19. add my thanks to the bunch too. landscape architect, scored 162 yesterday and powering up to take it again in a month. mini-dump–i’m sure i missed a good one about renewable materials–gave $$$ with ea/$1,000,000.00 budget and then asked you which one (of five) you should add in order to get the credit. i choose cotton batt insulation ‘casue i was totally sure about it, but i was suspicious about the value of it–i should’ve picked wool (i wasn’t sure if wool ws renewable…dumb!), and had a higher value to…i think, get you over the 2.5% budget. so anyway, hope your site gets my brain in gear next time!

    By john on Mar 14, 2008

  20. Pat,

    Thanks for all you info, links, etc. I took the NC test on Saturday and passed. Your blog was a huge help. Thanks

    By Steve on Mar 17, 2008

  21. Hey guyz, I passed the test today ! Thanks for the help.

    Nik

    By Nick on Mar 17, 2008

  22. Pat-

    I’ve studied some and took a quasi open book test on the http://www.greenexamprep.com/ website- yikes those questions are DETAILED!! What is your opinion towards the real test vs. the greenexamprep questions?

    Thanks in advance.
    Deanna

    By Deanna Carpenter on Mar 18, 2008

  23. Hey Pat ~

    I’m about to take the exam in a few days, and I just have a quick question.

    For questions where you have to choose multiple answers, does the question tell you how many answers you’re supposed to pick, similar to the greenexamprep tests? or do they just kind of make you guess….?

    thanks, and again, congrats on passing!

    ~ debby

    By debby on Mar 19, 2008

  24. To Deanna:
    My opinion is that the greenexamprep questions are just a little bit harder than the real exam, but they have questions focused on the same topics that are covered more on the real exam. I’ve seen it many times where people are scoring 70-80% on the greenexamprep tests and score in the 90% range on the real exam. I think they prepare you for the worst, which is always a good thing =)

    Good luck on your test!

    To Debby-

    The real exam will tell you how many answers will be needed - thankfully! If you don’t answer the correct amount, it’ll tell you at the end of the test and you can go back. If you answer too many, it will tell you right away. I’d be so freaked out if I didn’t know how many answers were correct!

    Thanks again and good luck on your test - let us know how you did!

    By Pat on Mar 19, 2008

  25. hi pat ~

    thanks for answering my last question - makes me feel a lot better!

    a few more questions on what happens during the real exam:::

    will we have a visible countdown timer of some sort when we start the exam, or should I bring a watch to keep track of my own time?

    also, are we allowed to have a calculator during the exam (either our own or provided)? did you encounter any calculations during your exam, and if you did, how hard were they?

    2.5 days until my own exam - eep!

    thanks in advance! ~ debby

    By debby on Mar 21, 2008

  26. debby-

    No problem, i’m always happy to help out future LEED APers. Your questions are very good and I’m sure many others are wondering the same things:

    During the exam, you’ll see a timer on the upper right-hand corner of your screen. It’s a little scary because it’s a countdown timer, and it stressed me out during the initial tutorial, when I was writing my pre-test braindump. So to answer your question, you don’t need to bring a watch or timer of your own.

    Also, in my exam, I asked if I could use a calculator - and I was denied. I did encounter calculations during the exam, although they were very simple and are usually friendly so you aren’t stressing about the actual number (i.e. they used 1,000,000 SF for a site area, so calculating percentages, for example, would be really easy). This being said, I’ve heard of some testing centers that actually provide a calculator to some of their test takers, so my advice is, just ask knowing that you probably will not be able to use one, and if you do - well, it’s your lucky day!

    Good luck and keep us posted on how you do!

    By Pat on Mar 22, 2008

  27. Hey pat,
    I took my test over the weekend and i have failed it. I missed it by 1 point. So i went back to study again. here is a question i could not find the correct answer for, and this question has appear in the LEED test i took and on the practice tests. it would be great if you can help me on this.

    For MRc7:Certified Wood.
    The requirement ask to use minimum of 50% of wood materials and products certified in accordance with FSC. Is the 50% base on the costs of CFC wood as percentage of total ALL NEW WOOD product or ALL WOOD (including recycle or salvage wood) products used in project?

    thanks for your help.

    Ron

    By Ron on Mar 24, 2008

  28. hey thanks for this all the tips on this website - and also the links- I just passed my exam this morning with a 189.

    - Komal

    By komal on Mar 24, 2008

  29. hey Pat!!

    as of 10:52 am on this very wonderful monday - I AM A LEED ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL!!

    187!!! =D

    I just want to say THANK YOU for creating such a wonderful website, and for all of your help answering my random little questions.

    oh, and to Ron, since it looks like Pat hasn’t had a chance to get back to you yet ~ I actually got that exact same question on my exam. MR 7 only applies to NEW wood products, not recycled or salvaged, since I think it would be nearly impossible to get Chain-of-Custody documents for salvaged/recycled wood products.

    good luck on your next try!!

    and again, THANK YOU PAT!

    ~ debby

    By debby on Mar 24, 2008

  30. To Ron:

    I’m sorry to hear that 1 point miss. I’m sure next time around you’ll score much much higher! Regarding your question about Certified Wood, Debby is correct - MR7 only applies to NEW wood products, not recycled, refurbished or salvaged wood. Let me know if you have any more questions - I or anyone I’m sure would be happy to help.

    To Komal:

    Congratulations on becoming a LEED AP! It’s my pleasure to help =) So what is next for you? Are you planning on working on any LEED projects in the near future?

    To Debby:

    Woohoo! Congratulations to you as well! I’m so glad I helped you out as much as I could. It sounds like you deinitely knew what you were doing on the exam! Best of luck to you and your future endeavors =)

    Happy Monday! Cheers!

    By Pat on Mar 24, 2008

  31. Pat-
    I asked this elsewhere, but how did you choose which of the exam tracks to get the LEED AP certification in & why? Most of my interest is the NC track, but most of my real world application would be in EB or CI. Is one easier than the other? Anyone taken both? Do I study the same book as the NC but with just different questions in the specific “track”? You or anyone else have advice?

    By Dan on Mar 25, 2008

  32. Dan-

    Sorry, I must have overlooked your question before, my apologies.

    I chose NC because I am actually working on mostly New Construction buildings. I do realize that most of the real world applications for LEED would be in EB or CI - but NC, i believe, covers more information. So If you know NC, you know pretty much CI and EB also, with some minor differences between each of them. I’m not sure if one is “easier” than the other - but my feeling is that since NC is the most popular, it’s definitely easier to find good study materials for it. There are some new CI specific materials on the market, but definitely not as much as NC. There are separate reference guides for each, so if you’d like to go down a different track, that would be the way to go. Then you can compare which credits are the same and then be able to differentiate the two, which may come in handy in the future.

    Remember if you pass any one of the tracks, you are LEED AP for all LEED tracks. I hope this helps you Dan.

    Good luck!

    By Pat on Mar 25, 2008

  33. Hey i cleared yesterday with a score of 185.. i started studyin one month back and followed this website thoroughly.. thanks a lot pat for creating this website.. i followed the same study schedule as yours..

    By shri on Mar 26, 2008

  34. Shri-

    Congratulations! We both studied the same amount of time and scored the same score!

    Thanks for letting us know you passed! It makes me happy I could help you =)

    Best of Luck!

    By Pat on Mar 26, 2008

  35. Pat:

    How long to you get for the actual test?

    Thanks!

    By Stephanie on Mar 26, 2008

  36. Hi Stephanie,

    For the actual test, you have 2 hours to complete it. I went through the 80 questions twice (checking my answers the second time around) and I still had time left over. Thanks!

    By Pat on Mar 26, 2008

  37. All I can say is congrats!

    By Phil on Apr 6, 2008

  38. Has anyone ordered either the sample questions or the flash cads from greenexamprep and if so how much help was it.

    By Justin on Apr 17, 2008

  39. Pat, thank you again for the great website! To answer Justin’s comment, I didn’t use the flashcards, but I did order the tests and they were extremely helpful for me. The questions were really hard but I think it prepared me for the exam because the real questions were a little easier and it helped me get used to answering questions on a computer. I hope that helps you Justin! Does anyone else agree?

    By GreenMachine on Apr 17, 2008

  40. Hi Shri

    I have just started for preparaing LEED NC2.2. and i want to appear for the exam as soon as possible. Can you pls guide me which study material i should buy? How much time should i dedicate for the studies daily. I am feeling very directionless. I shall appreciate any help in this regard.

    By sushma on Apr 29, 2008

  41. Hi Pat

    I have just started for preparaing LEED NC2.2. and i want to appear for the exam as soon as possible. Can you pls guide me which study material i should buy? How much time should i dedicate for the studies daily. I am feeling very directionless. I shall appreciate any help in this regard.

    By sushma on Apr 30, 2008

  42. Pat-

    First- FABULOUS WEBSITE! Huge help in my studies. I would use your condensed versions of the credits when i would get stuck on a greenexamprep question and wanted to cheat.

    the combo of time, greenexamprep, and this blog (also the quizzes on ufl.edu) were major contributers to my passing score of 199! THANKS!

    Deanna

    By Deanna Carpenter on May 3, 2008

  43. Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
    – Christopher Lascl

    —————————————————————————————————-
    http://ebloggy.com/lucienmccoyrx

    By Statoenewjets on May 11, 2008

  44. Hey Pat,

    I’m really glad to have found this website. I am studying for the LEED CI test on my own (without taking any classes) and was wondering if your website is applicable for LEED CI. I can’t seem to find a website as helpful as yours for CI.

    Thank you,
    Janet

    By Janet on May 14, 2008

  45. Hi Janet,

    I’m glad you are enjoying the website. I am unsure of any LEED CI websites that are similar to this one. Please let us know if you find any as I’m sure people would love to know about it. Good luck and thanks!

    By Pat on May 14, 2008

  46. Thank you so much for all your help! I just took the LEED NC exam this afternoon after studying for 1 month on my own, using just the reference guide, my own notes (I’m an obsessive-compulsive note taker), and your website - no classes, workshops or sample exams - and passed! I got a 184, which I am very happy with already. Was a bit nervous because I took no sample exams nor any background in building design or construction, but in the end all the hard work paid off! Thanks again for the terrific help. Such a great feeling! =)

    By Bettina on May 17, 2008

  47. Thanks for creating such a great website! It really helped me study and pass (with a 184!). I have been convincing more people in my office to take the test, so I sent them the link to your site. Thanks again!

    By Gwen on May 21, 2008

  48. Great tips from http://www.intheLEED.com (and some Memorial Weekend cramming) helped me score a 189 on the LEED NC exam. Thanks for creating such a great resource.

    By murf on May 27, 2008

  49. Hi PAt,

    I took my test this am and i have failed it. So i went back to study again and re-schedule another exam after a week. Section IV about Verify, PArticipate in & perform technical Analysisis is the weakest section i have to study.it would be great if you can help me on this.

    By Friend on May 29, 2008

  50. Hi Friend,

    I’m sorry you have failed your exam. I hope you have passed now that it’s been a week since your first try, and you said you would take it a week later. If you are still having problems, please checkout the post I just wrote about what to study for which particular section is giving you trouble:

    http://www.intheleed.com/leed-categories/

    Good luck!

    By Pat on Jun 18, 2008

  51. I just got done with the test and passed with a 189. Owe quite a bit to the tips and links on this site..Along with several practice and sample tests…Thanks Pat !!!
    A couple of things about the test for those who are studying for it.
    - Several questions were on the submittals, calculations and data required for them. Mostly water use reduction, stormwater mgmt and alternative transpt.
    - Remember to study the certification process from the usgbc website.
    - The colorado guide test is more difficult in comparison while the greenexamprep ones are more similiar to the actual test.

    By Binu on Jun 21, 2008

  52. Thanks Pat for your support and help. I passed the test on 20th . It was a big relief passing first time.
    Thanks again.

    By Shanu on Jun 24, 2008

  53. Thank you very much!!!I passed the exam in Italy and now I’m in the LEED AP Directory(country Italy) as a “LEED AP” in Italy!!!

    By Francesco Gasperi on Jun 27, 2008

  54. Congratulations!
    What will you do with LEED AP in Italy?
    Valeria

    By valeria on Jun 30, 2008

  55. Hey Pat,

    Congratulations on passing!

    Any good advice… I signed up for the exam (giving myself 2 weeks - 2 weekends really - to study the whole thing) thinking it would force me to study! Yeah right! 2 kids under 2 years old and 2 separate jobs kept me busy until today.

    So I basically started to study last night briefly, and am at about p175 right now. I take the exam Monday morning at 9:30am, and really cannot afford to lose the $300.00.

    I know, I sound like a yahoo!? And no, I do not have any construction experience, HVAC experience, and am not an architect. If you respond to this, I’m really just looking for the best and most important material to completely cram in for tomorrow’s study session - I’m guessing I won’t be getting much sleep tomorrow night!?

    Thanks!

    By Jeff on Jul 13, 2008

  56. Hi Jeff,

    Wow it sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I can confidently say that you’ve come to the right place if you want to know what’s important for the test. It sounds like you’re reading the reference guide, which is good. After doing that, read the summaries on my table of contents and that will tell you all of the important parts. Read the charts and see if you can fill out the “blank study guide” which is a downloadable tip on the table of contents as well.

    To me, as long as you keep working hard, like I can tell you already do, you’ll pass. But don’t think that you’ll breeze by without some studying!

    I really wish you the best of luck, and please ask questions on the website if you have any, I and many others who come along should be there to answer questions if we know the answers.

    Cheers Jeff.

    By Pat on Jul 13, 2008

  57. Pat,

    Thanks so much for getting back to me on my last post… I just got back from my test, and I passed!!!

    For 2.5 days studying total, I’m going to take that 175 and be wholly proud of it!!

    For everyone else thinking of taking the LEED AP exam, this site is an absolutely fantastic resource, and one that will certainly help you to pass the exam. Good luck!

    By jeff on Jul 15, 2008

  58. Pat,

    You’ve been instrumental in my success. I managed to declaw the big monster the first time through!! I hope to pay it forward and help others seek out thier accredidation as well.

    Cheers!
    Brian

    By Brian on Jul 15, 2008

  59. Hi Pat,
    Thank you so much for your website!! It helped tremendously.
    Thanks, B :)

    By Brenda on Jul 17, 2008

  60. Pat - Thanks for your virtual help! I used your site almost exclusively for my studying and passed the test yesterday. What a relief. Thanks for your help!

    N in Wash, DC

    By Nowell on Jul 19, 2008

  61. Pat,

    Passed this morning. Thanks a bunch for your help and this awesome website, I couldn’t have done it without this excellent resource.

    By Mitchell on Jul 28, 2008

  62. Pat,

    Thank you so much for your website. I just passed the LEED-EB exam! Your tips were totally applicable to the EB exam, and your recommendation of greenexamprep.com (obviously) made all the difference. I basically crammed everything in over a weekend. ;)

    Thanks!
    Adam

    By as128 on Jul 28, 2008

  63. All,
    took the test earlier today and missed by 1 point!! AHRG! Any tips? I felt I knew all the credits well. WIMSEE in my brain dump. dumped all referenced standards etc. Has anyone else missed by 1? what were your %’s in each category? HELP!! I really want to re-take it ASAP

    By Amanda on Jul 31, 2008

  64. Pat,
    Thank you very much for the website. I look at it almost everyday. It is a great help.
    Have you heard about http://ppi2pass.com (LEED online sample exam)? My co-workers are using this sample exam for preparation. How does it compare with http://www.greenexamprep.com/? which one is more similar with the real exam? Thank you.

    By joanna on Jul 31, 2008

  65. Pat,
    Thanks for your website - it was tremendously helpful and encouraging. I passed the NC exam today with a 186 on my first try.

    If anyone is curious I also took the USGBC NC Technical Review course and the USGBC online course, “Essentials of LEED Professional Accreditation” (both courses were very helpful and paid for by my company). If you want to take a course, but can’t get your company to pay, I’d recommend the online course since it’s much cheaper. It offers quite a lot of practice questions as well. Lastly, I also took practice exams on greenexamprep.com - very helpful, and it gave plenty of the practice “tricky” questions I note below.

    My advice to anyone struggling with passing (aside from make sure you study hard and memorize all the requirements and important synergies!) is to be prepared for the tricky questions/answers. They have a lot of optional answers that may sound right.

    Also, I took the exam at 8 am on a Monday and if you’re not a morning person that might not be the best idea. I felt like my brain went blank a few times - I just could not for the life of me remember the credit requirements I thought I knew backwards and forwards!

    So I guess my second piece of advice is take the exam after a full night’s rest and at the time of the day when you think you’ll be alert.

    Thanks again and good luck to everybody.

    By joy on Aug 4, 2008

  66. Pat,

    At the outset, I would like to congratulate you for all the good work done by you. I have used your website for a considerable portion

    I have successfully completed it and I thought I would share with all of you, my experience during the entire process.I followed the following sequence which I am the prospective exam takers can review and apply to suit the needs

    1. I enrolled myself as a member of USGBC (which is free) and then started getting first hand information about the LEED AP process and the GBCI. This site provides candidate handbook, abridged version of he reference guide etc.

    2. I used Google extensively to search for relevant LEED AP related topics such as on line tutorials, free exam papers, resources etc and tried to gather as much as I can on the study materials, templates etc.. Needless to mention that intheleed.com was of tremendous help.

    3. Other websites that could help you are

    a. http://www.southfaceonlinetraining.org (this gives free training on LEED NC)

    b. http://www.areforum.org

    c. http://www.energydesignresources.com (application of LEED on projects)

    d. http://www.leededucation.com

    e. http://www.buildinggreen.com

    f. http://www.whyleedbuildings.com

    g. http://www.leedtestprep.com

    h. http://www.archdesigncommunity.com

    4. With the above I was equipped with templates, flashcards, summaries of standards, exemplary performances, design / construction phase submittals etc that would ideally help to make a beginning.

    5. I also managed to download few sample papers that are available for fee on the website.

    6. I started reading the abridged version, the flash cards and then started attempting the questions. While the results were not encouraging this was at least a beginning to benchmark yourself.

    7. Then I obtained the LEED NC reference guide. This is a MUST. This is exhaustive and has to be read thoroughly if you have to really gain the full insight and understanding of the LEED.

    8. I read the book once and made some notes followed by the sample test questions. There were definite improvements.

    9. In total I read the book 3 times and was surprised to note how much I missed in the previous reviews.

    10. On the last day I was focusing more on the notes that I has earlier prepared, along with the summary charts on standards etc

    11. We should recognize the fact that LEED AP is not just passing the exams but pursuing a future initiative on sustainability. When viewed on those lines, reading the NC reference guide 2 to 3 times is really helpful and worth the efforts.

    12. There is also sizable information available on Harvard green campus initiative. They have explained their green projects along with narratives, copies of submittal templates etc.

    13. Although my initiation started early April 2008, I put in serious studies during the last 1 month. On an average you should plan 2 to 4 months.

    14. with the above, I scored 194 overall.

    I would like to congratulate you for all the good things you are doing for the LEED AP aspirants. IN case any of you would like to have specific guidance / clarifications please feel free to contact me.

    Thanks

    Jack

    By Jack on Aug 5, 2008

  67. I am still looking for your pre Exam barin dump?

    By Jacob on Aug 7, 2008

  68. Deanna Carpenter,
    where were those quizzes on ufl.edu? I’m on the site, but can’t seem to find them. Does anyone else know? Thanks so much!

    By Frances on Aug 8, 2008

  69. Oh, I just found a link to it on the Study portion-
    http://www.cce.ufl.edu/LEED/resources.asp

    I don’t think you can navigate to this site from ufl.edu, though. At least not easily.

    By Frances on Aug 8, 2008

  70. Hi Pat–I passed today with a 189! Thanks so much for this site. Mini brain-dump: there were a LOT of questions about commissioning (and the difference between the prereq and the credit), construction IAQ plans, and innovation credits. And though I’d been advised that questions about bathroom water use normally focus on the opposite gender, I got two about women.

    By stacy on Aug 8, 2008

  71. Hi stacy!

    Congratulations on getting pass with a good score. Can you suggest me how deeply shod i study EA? on which credit is hod give more time. I am refering colorado guide too. Can you suggest me some helpful links to refer. I want to appear for exam in september end.

    Please help!

    By Tanya on Aug 9, 2008

  72. Hi Pat,
    Thanks a bunch for your website - it turned out to be the most helpful resource when I had started freaking out about the exam. Also the Greenprep mock exams helped me. I ordered them from your recommendation just 4 days back and passed today with 189 score. Thank you again!

    By Alisha on Aug 12, 2008

  73. I passed today with 181, wasnt sure if I passed or not until I saw the results. The answers werent straightforward, for example instead of adhesives, you may have an answer as duct sealant. Learn the submittals for WE 2 and 3, FSC. , credits SS 5, 6,7 and 8 and know your VOC’s. synergies for EA CR3 etc. The decision maker chart and the blank study guide from this site were helpful. During the initial ten minutes, I would suggest writing down ID’s and any credits that you have trouble with. questions about CIR’s came from the list from this list but it wasnt straightforward u had to think a lot about it.

    By RG on Aug 12, 2008

  74. I passed today with 173. The test itself was fairly straight forward (given that you put in the time to study websites like this and most definitely read that Reference Manual). I do recommend that you know the whole LEED submittal process and know how to handle CIRs. There wasn’t really too much information I found in my studies on this, I just tried reasoning through the questions, but this takes valuable exam time. So, if you can, try to work on a LEED project or talk with others in your company who have worked on LEED projects, I know this would have helped me a lot.

    I’d like to say thanks for the website and the valuable information contained in it (i.e., the tables, acronyms, peoples comments, etc.).

    Good luck.

    By MaxB on Aug 13, 2008

  75. Can anyone answer me the following questions?

    Q1. WHICH MATERIAL BY VOLUME IS HIGHEST(BIGGEST) WASTE THAT GOES TO LAND FILL.

    Q2. WHAT SHALLOW PLATES MEANS IN SIMPLE WORDS?

    By Nav on Aug 13, 2008

  76. I took and passed the exam yesterday. I took a LEED workshop on August 1, studied the reference guide and the workshop booklet, and used your site. Thank you for the help.

    By Ward on Aug 14, 2008

  77. does anyone know how long it actually takes to get your score back after you finish the test?

    Also, Is it actually possible to score 69 points?

    By Tyler on Aug 14, 2008

  78. I passed! Yay!
    Just some advice: there were 6 questions that had to do with knowing MERV and knowing that you use MERV 8 with EQ 3.1 Construction IAQ Management Plan, During Construction (MERV 13 is not necessary for the filtration media during construction)
    Also, know the average toilet uses per gender and the amount of water associated with that.
    Know the differences between Prerequisite Commissioning and the Credit for Commissioning
    Know which credits a cvil engineer would be involved in with decision making
    Obviously, have all your ASHRAE and other referenced standards memorized.

    This site is great- thank you so much!
    The practice tests on green exam prep are very helpful as well!

    By Frances on Aug 14, 2008

  79. Nav, not sure about Q1, but Q2 was answered in the discussion at the bottom of:
    http://www.intheleed.com/ea1/
    In the future try to post your question in the appropriate section/code or at least reference where you saw what you are talking about.

    Tyler, “You will receive a score report and exam fee receipt at the test site after your exam session is complete” [Pg2 candidate handbook from GBCI](it’s all computer scored so that makes sense). I’m guessing that you would have to have a ridiculous plan to get all (69) credits but theoretically it should be possible.

    Grats Ward and Frances!
    I’ve seen a lot of what Frances mentioned in various quizes/prep exams so that is encouraging, thanks for posting what you saw!

    By matt on Aug 14, 2008

  80. Do anybody had following question at the test?

    Most of the pactice tests im encountered had following question.

    How many total credits you can achieve under Innovative in design category?

    There answer was 4 instead of 2.

    But to me that is wrong.since this category has 2 credits not 4.

    However there are 4 points under ID1 and 1 point under ID2.Total 5 points.

    But question asked was credits not points.

    thanks,
    Navjas72@yahoo.com
    Nav

    By Nav on Aug 14, 2008

  81. I got around some 25 questions that you might need to concentrate on.. let me know if anyone needs it. I will check with Pat I can post them somewhere…

    By gg on Aug 15, 2008

  82. gg, I would like to take a look at the 25 question if you don’t mind. I will take the exam in two weeks. Thank you very much.

    By joanna on Aug 15, 2008

  83. GG - my test is on the 25th of August, I would love to look at what you have.

    Thanks.

    By CWheat on Aug 15, 2008

  84. Hello everyone. I took the test yesterday and passed with a 185. I studied for about two weeks, 4 or 5 hours a day. This site was a great help. I also used the greenexamprep practice exams. The university of florida tests are a good resource too. Both of these are more difficult than the actual exam.

    I studied all the credits and intents a lot. I felt pretty comfortable going in that I knew the percentages, intents, and standards. What surprised me was that there were so many questions on project administration, specifically the role of the administrator. You really need to know all the little details involved with CIRs, certification, appeals, what you can and can’t do on the website, etc. Also, be sure to be very clear on the differences between SS5.1 and 5.2, WE 3.1 and 3.2 and SSprereq1 (they try to confuse these three).

    The thing I really didn’t study was the submittals and who is responsible for what when. Getting a good handle on this would have brought my score up by about 5 questions I would guess. Be sure to know who does what related to commissioning.

    Study the process for innovation in design process. The process is more important than knowing the thresholds.

    Good luck

    By Ebergst on Aug 15, 2008

  85. Hi, Ebergst, Congratulations!
    Thank you for the tip. I was wondering what do you mean about the Process for ID? Is it the requirements of the credit or the two types of strategies that qualify under the credit?
    Thank you.

    By joanna on Aug 15, 2008

  86. For those that have taken the test and used GreenExamPrep practice tests. Do you think it is necessary to be able to get 80% firsty try on the tests is necessary or is memory of the 320 questions enough to get by on the actual exam? (Sorry for wording this question so poorly)

    By Luke on Aug 16, 2008

  87. Luke,
    I got 60% in my first attempt with greenexamprep but passed on the first attempt. I would suggest taking the tests atleast 2 or 3 times, since it takes only 30 mins after the first attempt. As everyone said concentrate on SS credit 5-8, VOC’s, every detail about CIR’S and Water efficiency, submittals and who is responsible for what…also, the questions in the exams are entirely differently from greenexamprep except for one or 2 questions. just know the credit intents n requirements.

    By RG on Aug 20, 2008

  88. wish I had found this site sooner, I started studying (read the Reference guide) on Aug 8th, on Aug 12th took a few short practice exams, less than 50 pct correct, started surfing the web for classes available this same week, found one abt 500 miles away called learning to lead instructed by the treeo center at UF. Took the class on the 14th and 15th, then took the test on Monday the 18th. ………. passed but barely, I strongly recommend web sites such as this for study advice, and to me the class was invvaluble

    By Kevin on Aug 20, 2008

  89. Hi,

    I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!

    I took my exam today and I passed~ Your website has been extremely helpful and well organized. I wish I knew your website earlier so I could concentrate on the really important points.

    Other APers, good luck!

    nagi

    By nagi on Aug 24, 2008

  90. Hi.. I took the exam yesterday & passed with a score of 186…!!!..
    Thank a lot to intheleed…
    I studied from the Reference guide, Colarado Study guide & greenexam prep for about 2 months…
    I would highly recommend taking the greenexams as it helped me a lot understanding the format of the test, the way questions are asked in the exam.
    But take the mock exams after u are done studying, don’t rely solely on the greenexams…
    The actual exam questions were pretty straightforward i think…so nothing to worry much…
    Just make sure to know the grey areas of the Ref. guide well, read the approach & implementation to understand the concepts thoroughly (i think this is important), because mostly questions were based on how u as a LEED AP would handle the given situation…
    Besides Standards are important, its easy to score on them. Knw the submittals, responsible individuals, calcs etc.
    Implementing LEED process- Leed online is very imp. I did well on this section & Coordinate Team…
    Hoping that this is a new beginning for me…
    Good luck !!!

    By gust.sara on Aug 28, 2008

  91. Has anyone else used the LEEDPASS book? I just got the new version, NC2.2 2008, and tried a practice test of the first 80 questions (out of the 720 included). I was really disappointed to find six of those 80 with flat-out errors (although glad that I’ve learned enough that I noticed them). I went back through those questions using the official Reference Guide Third Edition and confirmed that the given answers are, indeed, wrong. Is there a place to get a corrections book for this?

    Thanks for any help or suggestions.

    By Jill on Aug 28, 2008

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