Exam Specifications
Exam Specifications
The following outline provides a general description of exam content areas for the LEED Green Associate
exam.
Knowledge Domains reflect the rating systems’ credit categories and what one needs to know as a LEED
Green Associate.
The LEED Green Associate exam tests your general knowledge of green building practices for both
commercial and residential spaces
and both new construction and existing buildings as well as how to support other professionals working
on LEED projects.
KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS
B. Structure of LEED rating systems (e.g., credit categories; prerequisites; credits and/ or Minimum
Program Requirements for
LEED certification)
C. Scope of each LEED rating system (e.g., rating system selection; rating system families [BD+C, ID+C,
O+M, ND, Homes])
D. LEED development process (e.g., consensus-based; stakeholder and volunteer involvement; rating
system updates/evolution)
E. Credit categories (e.g., goals and objectives of each [LT, SS, WE, EA, MR, EQ, IN, RP]; synergies)
G. LEED certification process (e.g., certification levels [Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum]; LEED Scorecard;
third party
H. Other rating systems (e.g., in general, what other rating systems are out there?)
A. Integrative process (e.g., early analysis of the interrelationships among systems; systems thinking;
charrettes)
B. Integrative project team members (e.g., architect; engineer; landscape architect; civil engineer;
contractor; facility manager, etc.)
C. Standards that support LEED (e.g., breadth not depth of American Society of Heating, Refrigeration
and Air-conditioning
Engineers [ASHRAE]; Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association [SMACNA]
guidelines; Green Seal;
A. Site selection (e.g., targeting sites in previously developed and brownfields/high- priority designation
area; avoiding
sensitive habitat; located in areas with existing infrastructure and nearby uses; reduction in parking
footprint)
B. Alternative transportation (e.g., type, access and quality; infrastructure and design)
B. Site design and development (e.g., construction activity pollution prevention; habitat conservation
and restoration; exterior
A. Outdoor water use (e.g., use of graywater/rainwater in irrigation; use of native and adaptive species)
B. Indoor water use (e.g., concepts of low flow/waterless fixtures; water-efficient appliances; types and
quality)
A. Building loads (e.g., building components; space usage [private office, individual space, shared multi-
occupant spaces])
B. Energy efficiency (e.g., basic concepts of design; operational energy efficiency; commissioning; energy
auditing)
C. Alternative and renewable energy practices (e.g., demand response; renewable energy; green power;
carbon offsets)
D. Energy performance management (e.g., energy use measurement and monitoring; building
automation controls/advanced
A. Reuse (e.g., building reuse; material reuse; interior reuse; furniture reuse)
B. Life-cycle impacts (e.g., concept of life-cycle assessment; material attributes; human and ecological
health impacts; design
for flexibility)
C. Waste (e.g., construction and demolition; maintenance and renovation; operations and ongoing;
waste management plan)
D. Purchasing and declarations (e.g., purchasing policies and plans; environmental preferable purchasing
(EPP); building
product disclosure and optimization [i.e., raw materials sourcing, material ingredients, environmental
product disclosure])
A. Indoor air quality (e.g., ventilation levels; tobacco smoke control; management of and improvements
to indoor air quality;
D. Occupant comfort, health, and satisfaction (e.g., controllability of systems; thermal comfort design;
A. Environmental impacts of the built environment (e.g., energy and resource use in conventional
buildings; necessity of green
B. Codes (e.g., relationship between LEED and codes [building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire
protection]; green
building codes)
C. Values of sustainable design (e.g., energy savings over time; healthier occupants; money-saving
incentives; costs [hard