How to become a LEED Green Associate

If you are interested to become a certified LEED Green Associate, you must take an exam which is the 1st tier exam for LEED v3.

The Green Associate credential is administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), but the exams cover the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, which are developed by the US Green Building Council.

According to the GBCI website, the LEED Green Associate exam is “for professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice…[it] denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction and operations.”

The exam is targeted for product manufacturers, marketers, finance people, students, people in customer service for a large construction firm, etc. And it’s also for people who are not yet eligible to take a LEED AP specialty exam.

The LEED Green Associate credential is the Tier I credential that demonstrates knowledge of green design, construction and development concepts. It covers the following topics:

• The LEED Application Processes
• Project Site Factors
• Water Management
• Project Systems and Energy Impacts
• Acquisition, Installation and Management of Project Materials
• Stakeholder Involvement in Innovation
• Project Surroundings and Public Outreach
• Synergistic Opportunities between various LEED strategies
• The information is less detailed than what is required to know for the specialty exams, but it covers information that can span across all of the various LEED Rating Systems.

To earn the credential, individuals must pass the two hour, 100 question LEED Green Associate exam with a 170 (85%) or higher score. The questions are multiple choice and delivered via a computerized exam. The exams are taken in Prometric testing centers, which are located around the world.

Here is some more quick info about the exam:

• 2 hour exam
• 100 multiple-choice questions
• computer-based test
• USGBC national members/full-time students: $150, All others: $200.

For more information, please take a look at the Green Associate exam candidate handbook, which can be found on the GBCI website.

Posted in: GBCI,Green,Green Associate,Green Building Certification Insitute,LEED,US Green Building Council,USGBC,Waste Management