THE EXAM assumes extensive knowledge of the LEED building design and construction

(BD+C) rating systems, and the only way to pass the test is to read, master, and in some cases
memorize key parts of the LEED 2009 BD+C Reference Guide.
Owning the BD+C Reference Guide is not optional. Yes, its expensive, but its cheaper than retaking the test, and youll need it later when you start working on projects anyway.
As a supplement, consider browsing around here on LEEDuser.com. We include a Birds-Eye
View page on every credit: these answer FAQs and give readers the skinny on what each credit
is really about. People frequently use the forums during test prep to clarify things they're not
sure of. And like the Reference Guide, LEEDuser will come in handy later.
10. Read the Candidate Handbook very carefully, especially the part where they tell you
which material you need to know. Master all of it. They arent kidding about thisnot even a
little bit.
9. Explore LEED Online. Get to know all the rules about registrationincluding which rating
systems different project types are eligible foras well as certification and appeals, including
details about:

Credit interpretation requests (CIRs)

Templates

Scorecards

Design-phase and construction-phase credit reviews

Timing of different sorts of communications with reviewers

Fees
LEED Online Help is actually really useful for explaining a lot of this, and it includes screen
shots.
8. Memorize the MPRs. You should be able to recite them like a child reciting Bible verses to
the Sunday School teacher
Inside the Reference Guide
7. Fully understand energy optimization, onsite renewables, andgreen power. These are
the most important credits in LEED. possibly not knowing which things count as onsite
renewables (combined heat and power from methane, yes; from trash incineration, no).
And how do you sleep at night without remembering which building systems use process
energy? or without knowing how to calculate your percentage energy savings above baseline
according to the requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-2007 (with errata but without addenda),
Appendix G?
6. Know your prerequisites. Be able to list all the prerequisites of LEED for New Construction
v2009 by heart, and understand the intent of each one.
5. Know your refrigerants. Pay close attention to the difference between the prerequisite and
the credit regarding refrigerants (hints: global warming and fire suppression systems). Know
when CFCs in the HVAC system disqualify a project from LEED certification (hint: learn the
single tiny exception).

Finally, commit to memory the table in the Reference Guide that shows a variety of CFCs,
HCFCs, HFCs, and natural refrigerants. Seriously: see if you can replicate the entire thing on a
blank page without peeking. They might ask you absolutely anything from that table. Oh, and
dont forget the supplemental materials on refrigerants referenced in the Candidate Handbook
either!
4. Know your standards and calculations. You should acquire a reasonable understanding of
all the standards and calculations you see in the Reference Guide tomebut there are an awful
lot of them.
Based on my real test and the Everblue practice tests I took, these are some of the key
standards, codes, regulations, and definitions you might want to get to know. No need to
purchase or read the original standards, but make sure you understand
exactly why and how each one is used in LEED:

ASHRAE 52.2

ASHRAE 55

ASHRAE 62.1

ASHRAE 90.1, including its relevance to light pollution

ASTM E 1980, including the difference between SRI, reflectance, and emissivity

ASTM Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (mainly the difference
between them)

CDPH Standard Method v1.1

CRI Green Label Plus

EPAct 1992 as it relates to water conservation (this ones important! memorize the
tables in the Reference Guide!)

EPA definition of a brownfield

Green Seal-36 and Green Seal-11

SCAQMD 1168 and SCAQMD 1113

SMACNA

USDA definition of prime farmland

Test prep and test-taking tips
3. Take as many practice tests as you can get your hands on. Since I didnt start when I
should have, I attribute a good deal of my ultimate success to the practice questions and tests I
took on Everblue.edu. I scoffed at the questions while I was reading them, but they turned out
be really valuable for three reasons.
The test questions not only sent me back to the BD+C Reference Guide over and over but also
gave me a genuine sense of the actual test content. They also taught me to slow down and read
much more carefully so I wouldnt do something stupid like get density and community
connectivity mixed up (just to name a totally random example that Im sure would never happen
to me or anyone else!).
Although every test is randomly generated from a large bank of questions, Im sure companies
like Everblue pay employees to take lots of tests so they can write more accurate practice
questions. I didnt try out any other companys practice questions to compare, but the Everblue
ones ultimately turned out to be quite representative.

2. Read, re-read, and re-re-read. And then check your answers twice. They give you two full
hours to answer 100 questions. I got through them in about 30 minutes, using the mark button
to flag a few that I didnt feel sure about.
Then I took another 30 minutes to go through the marked ones, reading even more carefully. I
caught a couple mistakes that way, although two questions remained baffling (I used the
comment feature to point out the ambiguities, but that only helps the next test-taker; as the
Candidate Handbook explains, your score at the end of the two hours is final).
Finally, I used the whole remaining hour to double- and triple-check every single answer.
Most important of all
1. Start early. Give yourself at least one full, all-day stretch to studyread, take notes, digest,
and test yourself oneach of the major credit categories. Give yourself similarly long stretches
to study each of the following:

Core Concepts Guide

LEED for Homes rating system

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) rating system

LEED Online and other resources covering the certification process

Finally, take a good twelve hours for reviewing it all, including any final practice tests you
choose to take.