5 Tips for Earning the LEED Green Associate Certification
I passed the LEED Green Associate (GA) exam, and so can you! This guide answers some basic questions about the certification and shares quality resources to help you obtain the LEED GA. I also explain why knowing how to make buildings sustainable is vital to fighting climate change.
In 2018*, 13% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions came from the country’s building sector, making it the third most polluting sector behind oil & gas production and transportation, respectively.
While 13% may not seem like a lot, our homes, offices, schools, and retail buildings actually emit more greenhouse gases than our electricity and heavy industry sectors. Keep in mind that in the electricity sector, some parts of Canada still burn coal and our heavy industry sectors include mining and steel production — those are all very carbon-intense activities.
This figure is a sign that the Canadian built environment has an important role to play in fighting climate change. The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings come from burning fossil fuels for heating, and using non-renewable energy for lighting and cooling.
Fact: To meet Canada’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, we NEED to make our new and existing buildings greener.
The only way to meet our target is by having the entire building sector prioritize sustainability. We need people to make our buildings green, people who understand and implement green building practices. Getting the LEED accreditation is a good way to start to learning about decarbonization and making spaces sustainable.
What is LEED?
You’ve probably heard of LEED before, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a system created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to standardize and acknowledge buildings that meet and exceed sustainable practices, such as using locally sourced materials, reducing water usage, and maximizing natural sunlight. LEED began in the US in 1998 and today it is internationally recognized as the standard of excellence for low carbon structures. The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) officially adopted LEED in 2003.
Canada has more than 8.8 million commercial, institutional and residential buildings. Less than 9,000 are registered LEED projects which represents less than 0.1% of our country’s structures. This means that the majority of our buildings have a large carbon footprint. This needs to change.
When a building meets the LEED standards it is certified. When a person is officially knowledgeable in the LEED principles and standards, they are accredited. (Take note, because the exam will test you on the difference).
The LEED GA is the first level in the ranks of LEED accreditation. The credential represents proficiency in today’s sustainable design, construction and operations standards.
Having the LEED GA gets you in the door for green buildings. It is well-recognized and shows that you understand and prioritize sustainability principles. However, you cannot design buildings solely with the GA. You will need more experience and education to do that. What you can do is guide projects towards sustainability and seek ways to reduce their carbon impacts.
Now without further ado, here are 5 tips to help you earn the LEED GA Certification.
5 Tips to Ace the Exam
Tip 1. How to sign up
The exam is organized by the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), a sister organization to the USGBC. You’ll have to register here for the exam through USGBC, and yes, unfortunately, that means that all fees must be paid in USD. If you are a student, the exam costs $100 USD; if you’re not a student and your company is not a USGBC or CaGBC member, it’ll cost you $250 USD. When I paid for mine in 2020 — as a non-student and non-member — it cost me about $340 CAD.
You can book your exam weeks or months in advance to suit your schedule. If you need to rebook, it’s free if your test is more than 30 days away. If you’re supposed to write the exam within 30 days and need to change the date, there is a $50 rebooking fee, so make sure to give yourself enough study time.
This USGBC Guidebook walks you through how to sign up, what to expect during the exam and what happens after writing it. Though it does not contain useful study material, I recommend going through it.
Tip 2. Should you take a course?
As the LEED system was developed in the US, the exam is the same regardless of which English-speaking country you write it in (i.e. there are no differences between a Canadian study guide vs. a US study guide). The exam is based on the LEED v4 guidelines.
Depending on your academic background or personal interests, you may already know a good chunk of the material. In my case, I have been interested in green building practices since my undergrad, where I studied civil & environmental engineering. I already knew some topics: grey water reuse, sustainable/locally sourced building materials, and LED lighting. While some of the exam material is common sense, having a background in buildings, engineering, architecture, or sustainability really helps for the more industry-specific items. If you’re not familiar with green building practices, fear not because I share some great, free material below.
If you want to take a paid course, there are many options out there that range in price. Some are provided by the official bodies CaGBC and USGBC but are priced in the $200-$300 range. I would avoid those personally as they don’t necessarily offer an advantage over the other courses, and there are cheaper options. Courses are also offered by independent, certified teachers in person or online through platforms like Udemy, which can be priced between $17-$110. I tried one of the cheaper courses on Udemy, and while it provided a good overview of the test material, it left out some details that I came across in the practice quizzes which later appeared in the exam. As such, don’t limit yourself to just one source, because there are plenty of quality resources available.
Tip 3. Free(!) study material
1. Free online exam prep course by GreenCE: This is really a completely FREE online prep course, no catch. All you need is to make an account to access free, high-quality online study videos, PDF study sheets and 3 practice quizzes of 100 questions each. Doing practice quizzes is the key to passing the exam. This site provides the correct answer and explanation, which makes learning much more straightforward. GreenCE is a sustainable design education provider whose mission is to deliver accessible and high-quality training. They work to reach everyone from “the penniless college student […] to executives at the world’s largest corporations” to accelerate the transition to a sustainable built environment. It’s an excellent resource with an admirable mission.
2. Free Online Quizlet: You’ll have to make an account to access this quizlet, but it’s worthwhile to test out your knowledge of more than 250 terms that will show up on the exam. Understanding definitions, knowing about international treaties (Kyoto, Montreal), and remembering standards (ISO 14000, ASHRAE 62.1 etc.) are important as they will be on the exam. A little memorizing will go a long way for the LEED GA.
3. More online sample exam questions: This site has 50 free sample questions and answers.
Protip: When looking online for your own practice material remember to check the date it was published as you don’t want to study from an outdated source. Material from before 2016 would not be advised as the exam is updated every year or so. This article also has some tips about the key themes of the exam.
Tip 4. How to study
Now that you have your free (or paid), practice material it’s time to get down to studying. I always recommend trying a practice quiz or two before you hit the books to get a sense of what you already know and what gaps in knowledge you need to fill.
Then follow along with the course material of your choice and take notes on the new terminology and principles. There are 8 LEED categories/chapters and you can cover one per week if you study for 3–4 hours a week. So, 2–3 months should be enough study time. You can also go at a faster pace if time permits.
Do as many practice exams as possible. The more questions you see, the more prepared you will be. The exam is two hours long, and is comprised of 100 multiple choice questions from the 8 categories. Most of the questions are straightforward, but you must pay attention to keywords because they will try to throw you off with their specific wording.
Most people who write the exam pass on the first try, so it’s possible to study and not stress over the exam, so long as you feel secure in your knowledge. Focus on absorbing the material for yourself — after all, you’re not learning all this just to pass a test, but to implement this knowledge in future projects!
Tip 5. Writing the exam
Now that you’ve studied for a while, you’re ready to write the test. The exam is two hours long and you need a score of 170 out of 200 to pass. This is where doing as many practice questions as possible will pay off. The more familiar you are with the format of the questions and answers, the better.
In this era of online everything, the LEED GA exam can now be written online through a proctoring service. They use Prometric, which, in my experience, is one of the more serious online proctoring services. They inspect under your desk, chair, pockets, the walls of your test writing room, and even your glasses to ensure no trace of cheating materials or recording devices. The same inspection will occur upon return if you need to leave to use the bathroom. Water bottle? Forget about it. No clear cups of water either. Personally, the feeling of being virtually watched by someone you can’t see during an exam is a little unsettling — so brace yourself for that. However, the online proctors were friendly and helped me out when I came across technical issues. When I wrote the test I ended up finishing with 15 minutes to spare, even after double checking some questions. If you pace yourself well, you won’t have to sweat over the time constraint. Overall, not a terrible experience. Just make sure you have a strong internet connection!
Once you submit the exam, your score will be instantly displayed on the screen so you can know on the spot if you passed. When you do pass the exam, you can even update your resume/LinkedIn right away. Hurray for instant gratification!
Framework for sustainability
Once you’ve achieved the LEED GA, the journey is just beginning. I encourage you to apply what you know to shape society to have a smaller carbon footprint and be more aligned with nature. We can’t reach our 2050 climate goals without the effort of everyone.
If you know you want to work in sustainability or buildings, you should invest in yourself to get this certification. Even if your current position does not require the LEED GA, you need to lay the foundation for where you want to be in the future. Whether you are entry-level, a student intern or unemployed, there’s no day like today to start. If you’re going to make tomorrow more sustainable, you need to start working towards it today.
With the LEED GA conquered, you can pursue the next level, the LEED Accredited Professional (AP)… And if you’re interested in attaining further green certifications and knowledge (like me!) here is a list of certifications recognized in Canada and the US. Others include Passive House, Zero Carbon Building Standard, Energy Star, and Certified Energy Manager.
I hope you found this guide helpful and I can’t wait to work on a greener future together!
*2018 is the latest year for which the Canadian government has published emissions data. You can see more published data here.
#LEED #LEEDGA #greenbuilding #decarbonization
