6 Secrets for Passing the LEED Exam

You’re interested in becoming a LEED Green Associate because you hear it will further your career, teach you valuable concepts about green building, potentially inspire a raise or job promotion. The only problem is, you’ve heard the exam is difficult. Do not be daunted by what you’ve heard. Everblue has six fool-proof secrets for helping you pass the LEED Exam.

1. Commit to the Process. We don’t want you to be apprehensive about the LEED Certification process, but, to ensure your success, you will need to buckle down and focus. Becoming an accredited LEED professional takes time, energy, and mental determination. You will be taking in a lot of information, so you need to allot the appropriate amount of time to learn and comprehend the facts that will be on the exam. You should keep your eye on the prize, and don’t let anything get in the way of your professional development. We like to say that those who procrastinate never get around to becoming LEED Green Associates or LEED APs, so make a plan to achieve your goal!

2. Enroll in an Intensive Training Program. You can certainly study for the LEED Exam on your own. Of course, with that process, you may spend entirely too much time studying a concept that’s not on the LEED Exam and then ignoring the concepts you should be studying. You could also fall victim to distractions because you won’t be in a focused environment. It’s so easy to say that you’ll take a 15-minute break…and then you end up resting the remainder of your evening instead of studying. We have found that individuals who enroll in an intensive LEED training course actually save time because they are learning from industry professionals who have already passed the LEED Exam. Not only will a LEED training course provide information about green building, the LEED Rating System, and LEED credits, but a good training course will also prepare you for the format of the test and give you helpful test-taking strategies. Don’t risk having to take the exam multiple times – go ahead and learn from real LEED professionals in a live or online training course.

3. Set Your Exam Date. You should schedule your LEED Exam early on in your preparation process. Believe it or not, it’s much easier to sit down and concentrate on the task at hand when you have a deadline looming over your head. If you do not set an exam date in the near future, you will put off studying. With the amount of information that you’ll need to learn, it is not advised that you put off studying. We typically recommend 2-3 weeks of self-study time following your LEED training course. This time is meant solely to reinforce concepts learned in the class. You risk forgetting what you learned in class if you have no exam date to look forward to. You’ll feel way more motivated if you know you are scheduled to take the exam soon.

4. Utilize Study Aids. There are a number of study aids available for the LEED Exam. They range from electronic flashcards, practice questions, study sheets, iPhone apps, and sample practice exams. We don’t recommend that you use these materials as your primary study materials, but they certainly help to reinforce definitions and credits. Each LEED study aids were made to make studying fun and convenient, often times packaged in a way that you can take them “on-the-go.” This comes back to secret #1 and being committed; if you find that you don’t have time to study one night, work with some LEED flashcards while you are waiting in line at a restaurant or standing in the elevator. Every bit helps!

5. Take Practice Exams. After completing your LEED training course, you should be familiar with the format of the LEED Exam. You know that it’s timed and online. What better way to prepare than to actually put yourself in a scenario where you are timed and taking a sample test online? These LEED practice exams exist for this purpose. You want to walk into that Prometric testing center on exam day with complete confidence. You are already stressing about the kinds of facts that will be thrown at you – the last thing you want to worry about is the format of the test. Getting wrapped up with how many questions you can skip and whether or not those skipped questions will count against you will not only slow you down overall but will also affect your confidence and ability to concentrate on the importance facts of the exam. Do yourself a favor and practice with a sample exam!

6. Study with a Partner. You may be one of a few people in your office who are pursuing LEED Accreditation. It may be helpful to bounce ideas off one another. Peer study groups often provide encouragement and will help you stay on track. Just like some folks need workout partners to stay motivated, you might benefit from a LEED partner! There are multiple forums online where you can ask questions and interact with individuals who have passed the LEED Exam, worked on LEED projects, or who are also studying for the LEED Exam. LEED Accreditation is becoming an industry standard among building professionals; you don’t have to feel alone in the process.

Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to LEED success! Everblue has trained tens of thousands of individuals, from small businesses and non-profit organizations to large corporations and government entities. We created the first successful LEED training model and are proud to say that we have the highest pass rate in the country. We constantly update our proprietary curriculum based on changing industry standards and student feedback. As the largest Portfolio Educational Provider for the U.S. Green Building Council, trust us when we say we are the nation’s leader in sustainability training.

Good luck on your exam!