jayme, i would recommend getting in touch with someone at sustainable design collaborative (http://www.sdcollab.com/about.htm), they mostly do consulting, but I know Bill Bobenhausen teaches at Pratt and is currently working on establishing sustainable degree... and he has held workshops in the past

Thank you so much, Jkap. I'll try to contact Bill.

also, be aware that the last day that the version 2.1 exam will be available is October 31st... after that, they won't be giving any exams for a period of time while the switch over to 2.2 happens...

Yes. I am aware. Thank you, though. It's a good thing to keep in mind if I decide to postpone re-taking the exam.

Jayme-

Why were you taking the exam, since you don't seem to be actively working on any LEED projects?

If you're not a project manager coordinating with dozens of consultants to get a LEED certified project, then your wasting your time. The exam tests for knowledge gained through administering LEED projects, not what you can study in the guide or how good a green designer you are.

You might as well wait till the v2.2 test is released, since any project starting up now will probably follow this.

I don't know why you need to be actively working on a LEED project for it to be worth your while to take the test. Unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to work on any green projects but I became a LEED AP mainly because it was a personal goal and also because I figured it would be a good step toward getting the opportunities to work on green projects.

I agree with bryan, and did the same thing. I passed quite well with what I could learn out of the book, and sometimes you have to be 'qualified' before anybody will give you a chance to actually do that sort of thing.

jayme- look at www.areforum.org . In the resources section there are a bunch of study guides and such that I found quite helpful.

treekiller: I don't think I am wasting my time, but thank you for your comments. I agree and disagree with the USGBCs approach to promoting green design. In some ways I think it is discouraging that in light of today's shallow marketing techniques regarding the slap-on slogan "green design" that this tool is challenging both financially and technically. It certainly is not a measure of how good a "green designer" I am. I know that. Rather, LEED is a tool for making green design by making it measurable, and in saying that, I think it is a useful tool because its scope covers areas that not everyone would be familiar with. It tries to provide some incentive to our consumerist society. I agree with Bryan that this is a good personal goal, and a good step towards future opportunities. I am a young professional who is very interested in sustainable design and in streamlining my career to someday be exclusively sustainable design. As you probably know, as a young professional, you don't exactly get to pick out all the projects you want to work on. So, in my humble opinion, this is a good step towards making my career what I would eventually like it to be. Thanks again for your commentary.

treekiller: I don't think I am wasting my time, but thank you for your comments. I agree and disagree with the USGBCs approach to promoting green design. In some ways I think it is discouraging that in light of today's shallow marketing techniques regarding the slap-on slogan "green design" that this tool is challenging both financially and technically. It certainly is not a measure of how good a "green designer" I am. I know that. Rather, LEED is a tool for making green design by making it measurable, and in saying that, I think it is a useful tool because its scope covers areas that not everyone would be familiar with. It tries to provide some incentive to our consumerist society. I agree with Bryan that this is a good personal goal, and a good step towards future opportunities. I am a young professional who is very interested in sustainable design and in streamlining my career to someday be exclusively sustainable design. I believe in self-education. As you probably know, as a young professional, you don't exactly get to pick out all the projects you want to work on. So, in my humble opinion, this is a good step towards making my career what I would eventually like it to be. Thanks again for your commentary.

Jayme- good to see you showing some spine!

Taking the LEED exam was a goal for me too, and yes it can provide career dividends, but there is a difference between fresh out of school and being a balding, greyhaired almost-PM.

I've learned that for any skill, if you don't use it, you loose it. So, make sure you're in a situation where you can use your new knowledge. If you can't squeeze in figuring out the potential LEED credits for a project your working on, or preparing a project for submital to the USGBC, wait until you can or the skilz will grow stale.

Another bit for all those other readers- don't take the exam unless your company will pay for it and has copies of the usgbc books


the AREFORUM folks are dweebs- every post seems to be whines asking for free copies of the LEED books or some other pathetic display of small intellect.

oh, sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm not by any means recommending reading the posts on the AREforum. Just nab some of the study guides and sample tests from the downloads section.

treekiller: I see your point. I am fortunate to be a part of a firm that is very supportive of my career goals. I am not fresh out of college, but I am also not yet a PM. I am embarrassed for having failed, as I was always a successful student, I have taken charge of all USGBC dealings within my office, made efforts to make the office greener, and plan on attending Greenbuild this year. Also, failing once can only make me better prepared for success the second time, even if it did feel like a slap in the face.
My company pays for one exam, so I unfortunately lost a couple hundred dollars in this, and I would advise others to pursue LEED Accreditation with financial support from the office. It's a bit of a financial burden (which is unneccessary in my opinion).

Thanks for the mention of AREforum, rationalist. I printed a couple of things that might be useful.

Jayme- I was a bit harsh on you, great work on all those activities you are a great candidate for leed-ap.
Have you told the office that you've failed (or is it kept secret still).

Spend some more time on the usgbc website- pay close attention to the cirs and usgbc organizational chart.

Thanks for your support, treekiller.
To answer your question - those in my office who have asked know that I have failed, but it has not been publicly announced.

Jayme I took the exam in NY two weeks ago and barely passed by studying the reference guide, the website information and taking the test exams from the forum. I had a lot of questions on the template and the submission process. Getting the reference version 2.1 and taking the practice test from the ARE forum will definitely increase your chances of passing. I would concentrate on knowing all credits and the subtle differences between credits within the same division. Also know the associations that set standards for USGBC (ASHRAE etc).
I fully support your efforts to become LEED certified even if you are not currenlty or soon to be working on LEED projects. My current firm doesn't participate in Sustainable design or know much about our professions contribution to harming the environment, but I think knowledge can be introduced into a firm from the top down or the bottom up.
Cheers to the low man/woman on the totem pole.
Good luck

on that note, my exam had a lot of questions on the different publications/standards and which regulatory agencies developed them. So memorize those fringe people like the south coast air quality management district, and be sure to know which section of ASHRAE relates to which particular credits. I think memorizing the different section headings of ASHRAE got me a good five questions on that test.

moonshine - that sounds right. based on my experience with the exam, i feel like i need to strengthen my knowledge of the template and submission process, and the design synergies. i'm feeling more confident about having the means to do that now, so i'm definitely retaking this exam next wednesday (one week from today).

in regards to your firm's lack of participation in sustainability, i think it is just a matter of time before legislation will force this industry to be more aware, similar to ADA. there's no harm in having an early start because it can only help you (and those around you who have you as a resource) in the future. so i agree that knowledge can be introduced from top down or bottom up, and maybe those at the "bottom" should try to take more initiative to do so. i don't mean to sound patronizing, but just that i think this is a valid concern. this is a very important change for all industries that affect or are affected by the envrionment and the economy. (and who's not affected by the environment or the economy?)

also... for any other readers looking for study material, the best study guide i have come across so far is from the colorado chapter of the usgbc. it's a study guide & practice exam. i got a copy from one of my old college friends who has already taken the exam, but i believe you can purchase it online for $25.

thanks to everyone's comments here. i sincerely appreciate it. i was feeling really stressed about this, and i'm starting to feel like i have more of a grasp on it.

I Am taking my exam at Penn Plaza here in NY on Monday. I am encouraged by reading all of this, because I have been a little disillusioned about this exam. Somebody gave me a 40 page document with a cover page that says "LEED AP Professional Exam Study Guide" with two test and study material. I studied this packet, aced the tests, and felt ready for the exam...That was until I got my hands on the USGBC Colorado Chapter Study Guide. Thats when I realized, I wasnt even close to being prepared. Now I have the reference guide, and will review the synergies, templates, and www.areforum.org
What about the Turner University online tutorial? Is this a waste of time? has anybody done this?

Richard-

ignore the study guides and tutorials. focus on the usgbc website, the administrative procedures, and the process of certification. review all the CIR's and understand the history/development of the LEED standards. Also know the different LEED products and their general application (ie when to use LEED-NC vs LEED-CS, LEED-CI, etc.)

don't memorize the credits, but understand all their intents and how to administer them. The test will clearly lable IE credit 7...

Also know some of the general design stratigies to for each of credits, like daylighting, water conservation, heat island...

You'll be asked lots of questions about 'if you are doing XYZ, with QRS products that contain n% recycled content, do you qualify for daylight credit 7' and it's all multiple choice...

Also ask for scratch paper, pencils, and a calculator when you sign in for the exam. I had to get the supervisor and then show prometrics the USGBC website stating that these items are allowed, as the idiot at the desk had no clue and their computers had the wrong info.

The test only cares if you know how to submit a project for LEED certification, not that you can design a high performance/green building.

TK
LEED-AP

Richard,
My most simplistic advice: Think of LEED as a tool for making environmentally responsible buildings, and know how to use the tool. Meaning paperwork, coordination, and acquiring the most possible points with project-specific limitations. I thought the areforum stuff was useless, but I didn't try the Turner University tutorial, so I don't know about that one. The Colorado Chapter study guide is the best resource that I know about. I passed the second time I took the exam.

I also agree with everything treekiller just wrote. Except, I had no problem getting scratch paper, and I had no need for a calculator. There's a ten-minute tutorial at the beginning, and you can use some of those ten minutes to write down things you know on the scratchpaper. that was a little helpful for me.

treekiller, jayme, Thank you for your good words.
I have found some crazy typos in the Colorado Chapter study guide.
in the practice test, question #9 It asks about MR credit 8. There is not an 8th credit under materials and resources.
Then question #24 says, "Which two of the following... (choose three)"
Other than a few typos, its giving me a good challenge.

A few words of advice for anyone wanting to become accredited.

1- Have a timeline! Anyone knows how goals can slip unless we have a specific timeline. LEED is not rocket science but it is best to keep an aggressive timeline from the beginning if possible. During the beginning of your studies you are like a sponge and are soaking up a tremendous amount of info, hopefully because you are interested. That is the best time to keep feeding your appetite.

2- Attend a LEED Technical Review workshop. I know they can be very expensive if you don't have a company to pay for one but they are usually very well put together and can condense a tremendous amount of self study. They also provide a great deal of context and should give you a snapshot into the industry demographics which is helpful overall. Prepare yourself for the class by downloading a rating system and familiarizing yourself with the presentations available for download.

3- Schedule a test no later than 2 months after your class. Some testing centers can have up to a month backlog so don't wait. You can schedule the test down to the hour if you like so pick a time that works for you and stick to it. Much of the class is direct testable info so pay close attention and the longer you wait the more you will forget.

4- Read the reference guide. The 2inch thick book is the only way to get to the true testable elements of exam. The exam assumes you have a working knowledge of the point thresholds and instead focuses on the application of the credits. Look but don't memorize the formulas. Formulas and referenced standards are prime test questions! You are not expected to remember the exact formulas or standards but instead need to understand the elements used in the calculations. Ie: Is recycled content calculated by percentage of total project cost or project weight. Many of the formulas and standards repeat themselves so don't get too overwhelmed.

5- Take practice tests. I keep many exam resources including practice tests on my website

6- Think positive! Studies prove that mental visualization of success will manifest itself and you will become accredited. I can't emphasize that enough. For a few minutes every day prior to the test, take a minute and totally relax yourself in quite surroundings. Envision yourself answering questions successfully and calmly until you see the screen showing: Congratulations! You have successfully passed the exam the exam.

Now that you are the latest LEEDap go have a beer for me!

Mr. 2D,

This thread has been dead for almost a year and a half - since most folks don't fail the exam or need your help. Your post makes you seem that you have a vested interest in getting folks to your website, (oh, wait you do, how shocking!!!!), buried in #5. Please don't spam archinect with your self-interested attempts at getting folks to visit your commercial website - it isn't what archinect is for.

LEED consultants are a dime a dozen, and most are not worth the fees. If you are John P. Dunn LEED® ap, please be honest and open with your identity. We respect ideas and folks interested in joining our community, but we really don't like folks trying to subvert us with 'clever' marketing ploys. Join some of the current sustainability discussions likesupertall or green central. or lurk a while longer to get to know folks, then join in with something unique and personal.

people don't need to attend a LEED Technical Review unless your boss is paying. The USGBC has turned into a business and is now seeking ways of making more money for itself, like these overpriced classes.

As painful as the failure seems now I would get back to and try and write it again soon. Did the same thing and screwed up the first go but knew where I didn't get as good a result as I should. So I focused my studying a bit and passed next time. You've put in the effort thus far so don't let it slide. Take a day or so to regroup and get it behind you good luck.

jaymalee (and anyone else out there) -
I just took the test a few weeks ago and passed...but after a LOT of studying after reading too many threads on here and on areforum.org about people failing! one GREAT resource that I cannot reccomend enough is the study guide put together by the USGBC colorado chapter - search for the chapter website online - they sell a study guide (hard copy now, PDF version coming soon) that is a great addendum to the reference guide. It contains a full length practice test as well, which is a bit harder than the actual test but a GREAT study resource. I do not think I would have passed on my first try without this guide.
In addition, I went through the website and printed out everything about certification, and registration, and CIRs...I also read through a bunch of CIRs online. They were very helpful in understanding how LEED gets applied to actual projects (since I have never worked on a LEED project).

The test is very poorly constructed (with all of those choose 3/6 correctly and no partial credit!) but its all there is now....the Reference Guide is just that - a Reference Guide for a LEED AP, and not a Study Guide for the LEED exam.

Hope this is helpful. The colorado guide is $50, but its worth it, considering it might save you another $300 in test fees for a second attempt!

good luck!

i see the colorado guide was mentioned above - i skimmed all the posts and missed it - anyhow, it is the best out there, anyone taking the test shoudl definitely get it.

atsama congrats on joining the league of leed-APs.

there are several copies of the colorado guide floating around on ARE forum and elsewhere so most folks don't spend $50.

thanks treekiller

i only found out about the guide two weeks before my test date - i actually called them and after i paid they sent me a read-only PDF which they were testing out - they were super nice to deal with in colorado (i am in NYC....where no one is super nice).

and fyi, a colleague of mine just took the test after basically only reading the reference guide and ignoring my advice to study the USGBC website and th3 CO guide....and he missed the cut by 2 points....he sheepishly admitted that i was right the day after the test...

half the stuff is on the usgbc website, like cirs, fees, process, organizations, et cetera.

now that you've passed the test, you can really start learning!

It's awesome that you passed. I was so stressed out when I was studying for the test..Honestly, there was not anything else I could think about.. especially since the fail rate is so high. Glad to say that the worrying was in vain because I passed on my first try..whew!

Best advice I can give is to review, repeat, review...and practice. Take as many practice exams as possible. It also helped me that I was able to have private tutoring from Cleanedison.com. Best out there in my opinion because because of the quality of the material.

I was guaranteed that I would pass the exam and if I didn't they would let me retake the class course free.. One of the reasons I decided on them..but they also have online courses that are awesome.

SO glad that is over and done with!

please stop spamming us with adverts for that website. We don't care and we don't like folks that spam.

Down with you on that, TK.

The "oh, by the way, has anyone of heard of..." school of spamming is getting on my nerves.

Man, talk about a resurrection! And then the link from a first time poster.

Excellent.

First-time poster, long-time spammer

All those that have taken the test and passed. I am looking to get into taking the test. So if I study the USGBC and the colorado book I should be ok? do I need the reference guide??

you need access to the full USGBC website via a member number or a registered project.

Wow you called me a spammer! I couldn't understand why but after i re-read my comment its pretty obvious, I don't know why in the world I thought jaymalee passed the exam. (yes, even though there are the words "LEED Exam Failure" in bold red letters.) An off day for me I guess??? Very embarrassed about that one. Sorry about that everyone.

I'm going to have to laugh at myself on this one.. Hi my name is Kate, I passed the Leed exam but I can't read worth a ....

They really are a great company. Anyway, sincere apologies, I am quick to delete and HATE any spam on my own blog so I completely understand.