Taking and passing the LEED exam is no small endeavor. The process and requirements can be overwhelming, as explained in this previous blog, How to Get LEED Certified. It probably requires more studying than desired for the average person, since college is in that rearview mirror for most taking the exam! Weren’t study sessions and flashcards left in the past? But knowledge is power and learning really never stops! Motivational speaker Brian Tracy says, “Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.” The knowledge gained by studying and passing the LEED exam is a step toward success. Here are three tools to help make this process easier.

First, Know WHY the Exam was Developed

It helps to understand why the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) develops the LEED exams the way it does. Understanding the reasons for the rigor makes it palatable.

The GBCI is in an elite group of personnel certification bodies throughout various industries that have been accredited by American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI is an institute that oversees the creation and use of norms and guidelines impacting businesses in various industries. This mainly assures the safety and health of consumers, but also protects the environment, by promoting standards and managing accreditation. This accreditation is based on the ISO/IEC standard for conformity assessment, which is explained more in-depth at the International Organization for Standardization website. This process ensures that any group reporting ANSI accreditation have all met same requirements and are all held to the same voluntary standard.

Second, Know HOW the Exam was Developed

In order to meet the rigorous standards necessary to be accredited by the ANSI, the GBCI must be very intentional in its exam development. They have a 3-part process that is highly detailed, and it is explained in-depth on their webpage. Their explanation states:

• CONCEPTION: GBCI brings together leading experts in the field to form a Job Analysis Committee. This committee includes specialists from a variety of industry professionals in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. The committee is responsible for creating content areas that lay the groundwork for building the exam.
• VALIDATION: GBCI enlists the help of a wider group of subject matter experts, who review the content areas and their relative importance through the Job Analysis Survey. The survey gives experts in the industry an opportunity to contribute to the credential. Then, GBCI gathers and analyzes results to create an exam blueprint, which will outline weight distribution for exam questions by content area.
• DEVELOPMENT: Once the blueprint is finalized, GBCI enlists subject matter experts to write and review questions to appear on the exam. With expert consensus, a well-rounded exam is created and launched for the credential. The exam is finalized and placed into the testing platform for aspiring candidates.

There is a lot of preparation that goes into developing the exams, and they are created with the help of multiple groups of people. This includes experts in the field to decide upon the purpose of the exam, then content creators to help build it, then a wider group of experts to review what’s been built. The exam is beta tested, and results are analyzed. Before publishing, a passing score is set based on the difficulty of the exam and results analyzation.

This process means that the LEED exam is significant and is no small accomplishment for those who pass it. It also ensures the integrity of the accreditation.

Third, Know WHAT Resources You Have to Help

The USGBC website has a page to help prepare. It breaks the exam down, offers links to different resources and study materials, and even has a candidate handbook for exam policies and procedures available for download.

Likewise, a previous blog on our site, LEED Exam Study Skills for Building Product Reps, discussed LEED exam study skills. This is a great place to start, particularly if your university all-nighter days are long gone. Study and test-taking skill refreshment is never a bad idea.

We also offer an excellent resource designed to help you succeed at both studying and taking the exam. The Free LEED Exam Prep course includes ten video-based modules that are accessible at your leisure. The course also includes a study guide, exam study sheets, an audio resource, and three practice exams. An asset of this course is that it can be taken by anyone! Students, product representatives, designers, even people outside the industry can all benefit from the course. Have you taken the LEED Green Associate or LEED AP exam? If so, what suggestions do you have to pass the test?