LEED AP Exam Guide: Study Materials, Sample Questions, Mock Exam, Building LEED Certification (LEED-NC) and Going Green [Paperback]

Gang Chen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1432728423 | ISBN-13: 978-1432728427 | Publication Date: September 23, 2008

Pass the LEED AP Exam, Get Your Building LEED Certified, Fight Global Warming, and Save Money!

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most important trend of development and it is revolutionizing the construction industry. It has gained tremendous momentum and has a profound impact on our environment.

From this book, you will learn how to

1. Pass LEED AP exam.

2. Register and certify a building for LEED certification.

3. Understand the intent for each LEED prerequisite and credit.

4. Calculate points for LEED credit.

5. Identify the responsible party for each prerequisite and credit.

6. Earn extra credit (Exemplary Performance) for LEED.

7. Implement the local codes and building standards for prerequisite and credit.

8. Get points for categories not yet clearly defined by USGBC.

Most of the existing books on LEED and LEED AP are too expensive and too complicated to be practical and helpful. This pocket guide demystifies LEED and uncovers the secrets, codes and jargons for LEED as well as the true meaning of "going green." It will set up a solid foundation and fundamental framework of LEED for you. It covers every aspect of LEED-NC in plain and concise language, and introduces it to ordinary people.

This pocket guide is small and easy to carry around. You can read it whenever you have a few extra minutes. It is an indispensable book for ordinary people, developers, contractors, architects, landscape architects, civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, interns, drafters, designers and other design professionals.

Note: See posts under the Customer Discussion Section at the lower portion of this page for tips on how to pass a LEED AP exam on the first try and in one week. 

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Latest trend for LEED Exams

Recently, there are quite a few readers run into the versions of the LEED exams that have many questions on refrigerants (CFC, HCFC, and HFC), the following advice will help you answer these questions correctly:

For more information, see free pdf file of "The Treatment by LEED of the Environmental Impact of HVAC Refrigerants" that you can download at link below:

gbci.org/Files/References/The-Treatment-by-LEED-of-the-Environmental-Impact-of-HVAC-Refrigerants.pdf

This is a VERY important document that you need to become familiar with. Many real LEED exam questions (CFC, HCFC, and HFC, etc.) come from this document. You need to download it for free and read it at least 3 times.

Pay special attention to the Table on ODP and GWP on page 3. You do not have to remember the exact value of all ODPs and GWPs, but you do need to know the rough number for various groups of refrigerants."

This latest trend regarding refrigerants (CFC, HCFC, and HFC) for LEED Exams has a lot to do with LEED v3.0 Credit Weighting. EA (including refrigerants) is the biggest winner in LEED v3.0, meaning the category  has MORE questions than any other areas for ALL the LEED exams. See pages 36 to 38 of my book, LEED GA Exam Guide quoted below:

How are LEED credits allocated and weighted?

Answer: They are allocated and weighted per strategies that will have greater positive impacts on the most important environmental factors:  CO2 reductions and energy efficiency.

They are weighted against 13 aftereffects of human activities, including carbon footprint / climate change (25%), indoor-air quality (15%), resource/fossil-fuel depletion (9%), particulates (8%), water use/water intake (7%), human health: cancer (7%), ecotoxity (6%), eutrophication (5%), land use/habitat alteration (5%), human health: non cancer (4%), smog formation (4%), acidification (3%), and ozone depletion (2%).

These 13 aftereffects were created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and are also known as "TRACI", a mnemonic for "Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts."

1) The USGBC used a reference building to estimate environmental impact in the 13 categories above.

2) The USGBC also used a tool developed by the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) to prioritize the TRACI categories.

3) The USGBC also created a matrix to show the existing LEED credits and the TRACI categories, and used data that quantify building impacts on human health and environment to allocate points for each credit.

The points for Energy and Transportation credits have been greatly increased in LEED 2009, primarily because of the importance to reduce carbon or greenhouse gas emissions. Water Efficiency is also a big winner in the credits, doubling from 5 to 10 points for some LEED rating systems.

In addition to the weighting exercise, the USGBC also used value judgments, because if they only used the TRACI-NIST tool, some existing credits would be worth almost nothing, like the categories for human health and indoor air quality. The USGBC wanted to keep the LEED system somewhat consistent and retained the existing credits including those with few environmental benefits. So each credit was assigned at least one point in the new system.

There are NO negative values or fractions for LEED points.

20% reduction of indoor water-use used to be able to gain points, now this is a prerequisite in LEED 2009. 
 

USGBC and GBCI seem to enjoy confusing LEED exam takers and making their lives miserable

One thing that I notice is that USGBC and GBCI tend to spread their information everywhere, but not in one place. They seem to enjoy confusing LEED exam takers and making their lives miserable.

For example, they have some information regarding the responsible party and project phase or case studies that are part of their workshops, but not in their reference guide; they also have a lot of information that is at the GBCI and USGBC websites, but not anywhere else, such as CIR guidelines, MPRs and related requirements, etc.

I just finished writing "LEED GA Exam Guide" (published on 10/28/09), "LEED GA Mock Exams " (published on 8/6/10), "LEED BD&C Exam Guide" (published on 12/18/09), and the "LEED ID&C Exam Guide" (published on 3/8/10). Another thing that I notice is that because USGBC has expanded the LEED systems so much, they have to have different task groups to write different reference guides, but they are NOT even consistent between reference guides for different LEED systems. It seems like their tasks forces do not even talk to each other and coordinate: For example, ALL LEED systems were based on the platform set by LEED NC, but for EAp2, LEED CI only listed 2 related credits as synergies, but the LEED NC has included MANY more credits for synergies for the same credit, and most of them DO apply to LEED CI also, but the LEED ID+C reference guide misses these credits. Page 121 of LEED Interior Design and Construction Reference Guide also mistakenly listed EAp1 as IEQp2 under Domestic hot water systems for Table 1.

If you are taking the LEED AP ID+C Exam, USGBC suggests you to take USGBC classes at both the 100 (Awareness) and 200 (LEED Core Concepts and Strategies) level to successfully prepare for Part One of the exam. USGBC classes at 300 level (Green Interior Design & Construction: The LEED Implementation Process) can be taken to prepare for Part Two of the exam. A one-day course normally costs $445 (as of publication) with an early registration discount, otherwise it is $495. You will also have to wait until the USGBC workshops or courses are offered in a city near you.

The problem is: when you go there, after you spend 8 hours and close to $500 for each workshop, the instructor will tell you that the workshops are NOT for LEED exam prep. Come on, you have just spent so much money and time and go through the trouble for the workshops, and they just tell you now the workshops are NOT tailored for the LEED exams? Give me a break.

So, I think third party books are absolutely necessary and they are much more helpful than the USGBC publications and workshops or GBCI and USGBC websites alone.

You can find sample texts and other information on the LEED Exam Guides Series in customer discussion sections under each of my book's listing on Amazon.

From the Back Cover

Tips on How to Pass a LEED Exam on the First Try and in One Week and Responses to Some of the Readers' Questions

The following are tips on how to pass a LEED Exam on the first try and in one week and my responses to some readers' questions, and I think they may help you:

1. I found the reference guide way too tedious. Can I only read your book and just refer to the USGBC reference guide (if one is available for the exam I am taking) when needed?

Response: Yes. That is one way to study.

2. Is one week really enough for me to prepare for the exam while I am working?

Response: Yes, if you can put in 40 to 60 hours during the week, study hard and you can pass the exam. This exam is similar to a history or political science exam; you need to MEMORIZE the information. If you take too long, you will probably forget the information by the time you take the test.

In my book, I give you tips on how to MEMORIZE the information, and I have already highlighted/underlined the most important information that you definitely have to MEMORIZE to pass the exam. It is my goal to use this book to help you to pass the LEED exam with the minimum time and effort. I want to make your life easier.

3. Would you say that if I buy your LEED Exam Guide Series books, I could pass the exam using no other study materials? The books sold on the USGBC website run in the hundreds of dollars, so I would be quite happy if I could buy your book and just use that.

Response: First of all, there are readers who have passed the LEED Exam by reading only my books in the LEED Exam Guides Series (ArchiteG.com). My goal is to write one book for each of the LEED exams, and make each of my books stand alone to prepare people for one specific LEED exam.

Secondly, people learn in many different ways. That is why I have added some new advice below for people who learn better by doing practice tests.

If you do the following things, you have a very good chance of passing the LEED exam (NOT a guarantee, nobody can guarantee you will pass):

a. If you study, understand and MEMORIZE all of the information in my book, and do NOT panic when you run into problems you are not familiar with, and use the guess strategy in my book, then you have a very good chance of passing the exam.

You need to UNDERSTAND and MEMORIZE the information in the book and score almost a perfect score on the mock exam in this book. This book will give you the BULK of the most CURRENT information that you need for the specific LEED exam you are taking. You HAVE to know the information in my book in order to pass the exam.

b. If you have not done any LEED projects before, I suggest you also go to the USGBC website and download the latest LEED credit templates for the LEED rating system related to the LEED exam you are taking. Read the templates and become familiar with them. This is important. See link below:

usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222

There are so MANY different ways to study and pass, pick one path that is right for you.

The LEED exam is NOT an easy exam, but anyone with a 7th grade education should be able to study and pass the LEED exam if he prepares correctly.

If you have extra time and money, the only other book I would recommend is the USGBC reference guide, the official book for the LEED exam. I know some people who did not even read the reference guide from cover to cover when they took the exam. They just studied the information in my book, and only referred to the reference guide to look up a few things, and they passed on the first try. Some of my readers have even passed WITHOUT reading the USGBC reference guide AT ALL.

4. I am preparing for the LEED exam. Do I need to read the 2" thick reference?

Response: See answer above.

5. For LEED v3.0, will the total number of points be more than 110 in total if a project gets all of the extra credits and all of the standard credits?

Response: No. For LEED v3.0, there are 100 base points and 10 possible bonus points. There are many ways to get bonus points (extra credits or exemplary performance), but you can have a maximum number of 6 ID bonus points and 4 Regional Priority bonus points. So, the maximum points for ANY project will be 110.

On another note, the older versions of LEED rating systems all have less than 110 possible points except LEED for Home, which has 136 possible points.

6. For the exam, do I need to know the project phase in which a specific prerequisite/credit takes place? (i.e., pre-design, schematic design, etc.)

Response: The information on the project phase (NOT LEED submittal phase) for each prerequisite/credit is NOT mentioned in the USGBC reference guide, but it is covered in the USGBC workshops. If it is important enough for the USGBC workshops to cover, then it may show up on the actual LEED exam.

Most, if not all, other third party books completely miss this important information. I cover it for each prerequisite/credit in my book for the LEED exam because I think it is very important.

Some people THINK that the LEED exam ONLY tests information covered by the USGBC reference guide. They are wrong.

The LEED exam does test information NOT covered by the USGBC reference guide at all. This may include the process of LEED submittal and project team coordination, etc.

I would MEMORIZE this information if I were you, because it may show up on the LEED exam. Besides, this information is not hard to memorize once you understand it, and you need to know it to do actual LEED submittal work anyway.

7. Are you writing new versions of books for the new LEED exams? What new books are you writing?

Response: Yes, I am working on other books in the LEED Exam Guide Series. I will be writing one book for each of the LEED exam. See LEEDSeries.com for more information.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 243 pages
• Publisher: Outskirts Press (September 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1432728423
• ISBN-13: 978-1432728427
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #429,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thank you for visiting my Amazon profile. You may want to check out my books listed on Amazon's Gang Chen Page. You can click on "Visit Amazon's Gang Chen Page" on the upper-left-hand corner to access the page.


The following is my bio:
Gang Chen holds a Master Degree from School of Architecture, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and a Bachelors Degree from the Department of Architecture, South China University of Technology. He has over 20 years of professional experience. Many of the projects he was in charge of, or participated in, have been published extensively in Architecture, Architectural Record, The Los Angeles Times and The Orange County Register, etc. He has worked on a variety of unusual projects, including well-known large-scale healthcare and hospitality projects with over one billion dollars in construction costs, award-winning school design, highly-acclaimed urban design and streetscape projects, multi-family housing and high-end custom homes, and regional and neighborhood shopping centers.


Gang Chen is a LEED AP BD+C, a licensed architect in California and a member of American Institute of Architects (AIA). He is also a bestselling author of "LEED GA Exam Guide," "Architectural Practice Simplified," "Planting Design Illustrated," and other books on various LEED exams, architecture, and landscape architecture(www.GreenExamEducation.com)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great exam prep resource, December 22, 2008

By 

Terry L. Anderson (Santa Rosa Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LEED AP Exam Guide: Study Materials, Sample Questions, Mock Exam, Building LEED Certification (LEED-NC) and Going Green (Paperback)

I just took and passed the LEED AP exam. The LEED AP Exam Guide was an invaluable resource. It brings the many facts you have to know in order to pass the exam together in a very straight forward format. It's easy to read and contains lots of memorization hints that helped me with the actual exam.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Over All Good, Simple which is good, January 12, 2009

By 

Sean & Grace's Dad "Brian" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: LEED AP Exam Guide: Study Materials, Sample Questions, Mock Exam, Building LEED Certification (LEED-NC) and Going Green (Paperback)

I bought this book and 4 weeks later passed my LEED Test with flying colors. Over all the book is good because it keeps things simple and to the point. Highly recommend to be used with the LEED NC 2.2 referance book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Study Tool, January 16, 2009

By 

M. Wolf - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LEED AP Exam Guide: Study Materials, Sample Questions, Mock Exam, Building LEED Certification (LEED-NC) and Going Green (Paperback)

I think the author has achieved the goal of producing a concise study tool that can also be used as a handy reference for LEED requirements for those already familiar with LEED. He does a great job of breaking down each credit to the basic information that is important for those studying for the AP exam. The sample questions and mock exam are especially helpful as they are very accurate to what my experience with the exam was. Also, the references that are given in chapter 4 and how they are related to LEED credits is great, not only for those studying for LEED but also for people practicing. The intro and explanation of the LEED process is accurate and helpful to those new to the process. I would also encourage people to use the USGBC site to become familiar with the LEED letter templates that are used with the LEED Online process for registration. This may not help prepare for an exam as much, but will help those unfamiliar to understand the process and presents the information about the credits in a different format that may be useful to some learners.
One concern would be that the LEED AP exam will be updated fairly soon and so this will have to be updated for the new requirements, but I agree with his suggestion that encourages people to test under v.2.2 before the update. I definitely think that anyone who reads and studies this book has a good chance of passing the exam especially with some background experience/knowledge of general green building information.