LEED v4 Exams

"LEED v4 BD&C EXAM GUIDE" has been published!

2015-07-03T21:59:00.001-07:00

See link:

http://www.geeforums.com/leed-v4-bd-c-exam-guide-has-been-published-t227.html

"LEED v4 BD&C EXAM GUIDE" has been published!

Many of you ask us for the updated version for our LEED books. Your wait is over. "LEED v4 BD&C EXAM GUIDE" has been published!

Here is the detailed info:

LEED v4 BD&C EXAM GUIDE: A Must-Have for the LEED AP BD+C Exam: Study Materials, Sample Questions, Green Building Design and Construction, LEED Certification, and Sustainability

ISBN: 9781612650173

It is available at:

http://GreenExamEducation.com

Synopsis

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

The USGBC released LEED v4 in GreenBuild International Conference and Expo in November, 2013. The GBCI started to include the new LEED v4 content for all LEED exams in late Spring 2014. We have incorporated the new LEED v4 content in this book.

Starting on December 1, 2011, GBCI began to draw LEED AP BD+C Exam questions from Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide. We have also incorporated the latest information from this book.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the most important trends in development and 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 the LEED AP BD+C Exam.
2. Register and achieve LEED certification for a building.
3. Understand the intent of each LEED prerequisite and credit.
4. Calculate points for LEED credits.
5. Indentify the credit path, submittal requirements, synergies, possible strategies and technologies, project phase, LEED submittal phase, and responsible party for each prerequisite and credit.
6. Earn extra credit (exemplary performance) for LEED.
7. Implement the related codes and standards.
8. Obtain points for categories not yet clearly defined by the USGBC.

Most of the existing books on LEED and the LEED exams are too expensive and complicated to be practical or helpful. This guide fills in the blanks and demystifies LEED. It uncovers the secrets, codes, and jargon for LEED as well as the true meaning of "going green." It provides a solid foundation and fundamental framework for LEED. It covers every major aspect of LEED in plain and concise language, and introduces it to ordinary people. This guide is easy to carry around. You can read it whenever you have a few extra minutes.

It is an indispensable book for ordinary people, developers, brokers, contractors, administrators, architects, landscape architects, engineers, interns, drafters, designers, and other design professionals.

About the author

Gang Chen holds a master’s degree from the School of Architecture, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from the School of Architecture, South China University of Technology. He has more than 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, The Orange County Register, and more. 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 designs, highly-acclaimed urban design and streetscape projects, multi-family housing, high-end custom homes, and regional and neighborhood shopping centers.

Gang Chen is a LEED AP BD+C and a licensed architect in California. He is also the internationally acclaimed author of other fascinating books, including Building Construction, Planting Design Illustrated, the ARE Mock Exam series, and the LEED Exam Guide series, which includes one guidebook for each of the LEED exams. For more information, visit www.GreenExamEducation.com

Check out FREE tips on the easiest way to pass the LEED Green Associate Exam and information for all LEED exams and ARE exams at GeeForum.com, you can post your questions for other users' review.

What others are saying about LEED BD&C Exam Guide ...

"Passed on first try, only used this guide
"This is the best study guide HANDS DOWN. If you're serious about passing the LEED AP BD&C exam on your first try, this is the one you've been looking for! I bought Mr. Chen's LEED Green Associate Exam Guide2 months ago and passed it on the first try as well. I purchased the USGBC reference guide and Mr. Chen's LEED BD&C Exam Guide. I never opened the USGBC reference guide, only studied from Mr. Chen's study guide. I followed Mr. Chen's instructions and studied the guide for 2 weeks (yes, I have a full-time job). I did ignore the mnemonics, not my learning style (makes it more confusing to me). The exam was not easy, but I prepared and stuck to this material. I am not a good test taker by no means. I reviewed the technical data of the guide about 6 times and ignored everything else I had read or heard about the exam. Here's a piece of advice that I picked up from this book, spend less time on practice tests and more time studying! I have a subscription to a web exam simulator (rated the best) and only did about 100 questions, until I realized that I was wasting my valuable time. Find a good book and stick to it. This is also a great reference guide to use on everyday projects. Review the material, try to understand it, then try to memorize it through repetition. I would like to shake your hand and say THANKS AGAIN MR. GANG CHEN !!! "
--LOBO

"Excellent Guide and Good Manual
"I passed the LEED AP BD+C and the LEED AP ID+C exams this year and Gang Chen's books were my primary study material! The books are easy to read and use. Gang Chen provides study hints and guidance as well as an outline format that makes it easy for the reader to grasp key points. He also provides an excellent review of the entire accreditation process which can save people time in personal research. The books are more than study guides; they are helpful as reference manuals because of the easy to follow format. Definitely a keeper in my bookshelf for future project reference."
--Karen M. Scott

"Great resource for studying for the LEED Exam!
"I have taken and passed the LEED AP BD+C exam and know what it takes. As this author says, it's not an easy exam and he is right. What is critical to passing is having great teaching tools and this book is one of them. He touches on every aspect of how to memorize data, how questions are formed, what to expect on tricky questions, the content the test writers are looking for and every little detail you need to know when preparing for this exam. I highly recommend this author's books if you are serious about passing any of the LEED exams, hopefully on the first try!"
--S. Jennifer Sakiewicz

"LEED BD & C Exam Study Guide
"Gang Chan's study guide is an excellent resource in preparing to take the LEED AP BD+C exam particularly if one follows the study recommendation made in the guide. It does not replace the LEED Reference manual as the definitive source for technical information but more importantly provides a structure for the study of the information that is easily understood and when followed should provide good assurance of success in passing the exam the 1st time. This is a 'keeper'!"
--Spock

"Good summary of information to memorize for the test
"Chen's exam guide is a good summary of the test relevant information in the LEED reference guide. He underlines specific information that is important to commit to memory for the test. It is a good way to understand which information needs to be strictly memorized if you are preparing for the test in a short amount of time and have a good understanding of the LEED process through your professional experience. I passed the test with a very high score on my first try, and I did use this guide, one other, the LEED reference manual, online sources, a class, and many years of personally working on and completing online LEED submittals through my work. The week before taking the test I used it to commit point values and those kind of details to memory... "
--Denver

"Not a bulky ref guide
"LEED BD&C Exam Guide does a great job in highlighting and summarizing the key points and concepts in USGBC ref guide. If you only have limited amount of time for LEED AP BD+C exam preparation, definitely go for this book."
--Metcalf

"Very valuable guide!
"I am a lighting designer and am preparing to take the LEED BD+C exam...I got LEED BD&C Exam Guide to prepare for the LEED AP BD+C Exam and it was fairly well organized to help me refresh my memory on the background LEED knowledge I had. All the specifics that one needs to know about each credit such as the Purpose of the credit, Credit path, Submittals, Strategies and technologies etc, are clearly organized for every credit. In addition the author also employs the smart technique of Mnemonics which helps in memorizing the vast amount of information in a simplified manner."
--Visswapriya Prabakar

"Immensely valuable and utterly to the point, a true must have!
"This is an excellent publication by Gang Chen that outlines precisely all the key points one need for success. I personally appreciate the easy to adopt memorization technique offered by the author. Practice exams are very comprehensive yet summarized and not to mention highly effective learning tool as it is designed in this book. It is a very delightful experience for me to have this outstanding publication. In a word, this definitely worth the money and for me it turns out extraordinarily helpful."
--Shanaz, who passed LEED AP BD+C Exam on the first try

"Very Helpful!
"I found LEED BD&C Exam Guide to be very detailed and very helpful. I plan to take the exam soon, and I feel fully prepared for it."
-- Yousuf Asadzoi

"Good book!
"I had appeared for GA and passed. I loved the content and the underlined highlights. I read your book; it gave me insight and knowledge on how credits are applied. Some questions in your book helped me answer ones on the test. Good book, I'll go through it once again when I appear for AP."
--Haresh Vibhakar, AIIA (India), AIA, LEED Green Associate, Architect

"A good outline
"The book is an excellent outline to learn the necessary items required to study for the exam. It is not a comprehensive study guide in and of itself. Practice exam is good indicator of test preparation."
--Paul Levine

"Solid LEED Study Guide
"This is the kind of book I wish was available when I did my original LEED AP exam. It teaches you how to study, which is so important when school is a distant memory. The bulk of the book helps you review and memorize with mnemonics the concepts for each credit that you need to know for the exam. The questions are good representations of questions on the exam. I would recommend to anyone studying for their exam, that they:
- First read the chapters in this book on how to study;
- Second read the actual LEED BD+C guide to give you the background information on the credits and gain comprehension. Underline and review as the author indicates to get the most out of your study time.
- Finally read the rest of this exam guide to help you review and memorize for the exam."
--missfitz "missfitz"

"Very Helpful Guide
"Gang Chen's LEED BD&C Exam Guides very helpful in consolidating information from USGBC and GBCI sources as well as providing the information that is necessary for the exam without excess irrelevant information. I highly recommend this book for preparation for the LEED BD+C exams."
--leedap

“LEED v4 BD&C Mock Exam” has been published!

2014-10-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

“LEED v4 BD&C Mock Exam” has been published!

See link:

http://www.geeforums.com/leed-v4-bd-c-mock-exam-has-been-published-t199.html

“LEED v4 BD&C Mock Exam” has been published!

Many of you ask us for the updated version for our LEED books. Your wait is over. “LEED v4 BD&C Mock Exam” has been published!

Here is the detailed info:

LEED v4 BD&C Mock Exam: Questions, answers, and explanations: A must-have for the LEED AP BD+C Exam, green building LEED certification, and sustainability

ISBN-13: 9781612650210

It is available at:

http://GreenExamEducation.com

Synopsis

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

The USGBC released LEED v4 in GreenBuild International Conference and Expo in November, 2013. The GBCI started to include the new LEED v4 content for all LEED exams in June 2014. We have incorporated the new LEED v4 content in this book.

From this book, you will be able to:
1. Identify your weakness through practice questions
2. Learn to work well under the pressure of timed tests
3. Check your responses against the solutions
4. Understand the solutions for the difficult questions through the explanations
5. Fully understand the scope, difficulty level, and format of the LEED AP BD+C Exam
6. Learn how to pass the LEED AP BD+C Exam

7. Become familiar with the new version of LEED rating systems.

There is NO official GBCI book on the LEED AP BD+C Exam. “LEED BD&C Mock Exam” fills in the blanks and demystifies LEED. The book includes 200 questions and simulates the real exam in every aspect, including scope, difficulty level, format, and number of questions in each LEED category. It includes questions, answers, and explanations. This book is small and easy to carry around. You can read it whenever you have spare minutes. It is an indispensable resource for ordinary people, developers, brokers, contractors, administrators, architects, landscape architects, engineers, interns, drafters, designers, and other design professionals.

All our books are available at
GreenExamEducation.com

Check out FREE tips and info for all LEED Exams and ARE Exams at GeeForums.com, you can post jpeg files of your vignettes or your questions for other users' review and responses.

Author Bio

Check out FREE tips on the easiest way to pass the LEED Green Associate Exam and information for all LEED exams and ARE exams at GeeForums.com, you can post your questions for other users' review.

"LEED v4 Green Associate Exam Guide (LEED GA)" has been published!

2014-08-08T21:45:00.002-07:00

"LEED v4 Green Associate Exam Guide (LEED GA)" has been published!

Many of you ask us for the updated version for our LEED books. Your wait is over. "LEED v4 Green Associate Exam Guide (LEED GA)" has been published!

Here is the detailed info:

LEED Green Associate Exam Guide (LEED v4): Comprehensive Study Materials, Sample Questions, Green Building LEED Certification, and Sustainability

ISBN-13: 9781612650180

It is available at:

http://GreenExamEducation.com

Synopsis

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

The USGBC released LEED v4 at the GreenBuild International Conference and Expo in November 2013. The GBCI started to include the new LEED v4 content for all LEED exams in late Spring 2014. We have incorporated the new LEED v4 content in this book.

Starting on December 1, 2011, GBCI began to draw LEED Green Associate Exam questions from the second edition of Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide. We have incorporated this information in our book.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the most important trends of development and 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 do the following:
1. Pass the LEED Green Associate Exam.
2. Use LEED exam preparation strategies, study methods, tips, suggestions, mnemonics, and exam tactics to improve your exam performance.
3. Effectively understand, digest, and retain your LEED knowledge.
4. Understand the process of registering and certifying a building for LEED.
5. Understand the scope, main intent, core concepts and strategies, as well as identify the regulations, recognition, and incentives for each major LEED category.
6. Identify the strategies for case studies.
7. Identify the synergy in case studies.
8. Implement the most important LEED related codes and building standards.
9. Get points for categories not yet clearly defined by the USGBC.

This book fills in the blanks and demystifies LEED. It uncovers the secrets, codes, and jargon for LEED as well as the true meaning of "going green." It provides a solid foundation and fundamental framework for LEED. It covers every major aspect of LEED in plain and concise language, and introduces it to ordinary people. This 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, brokers, contractors, administrators, architects, landscape architects, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, interns, drafters, designers, and other design professionals.

About the author

What others are saying about LEED Green Associate Exam Guide…

“Finally! A comprehensive study tool for LEED GA Prep!”

“I took the one-day Green LEED Green Associate course and walked away with a power point binder printed in very small print—which was missing MUCH of the required information (although I didn’t know it at the time). I studied my little heart out and took the test, only to fail it by 1 point. Turns out I did NOT study all the material I needed to in order to pass the test. I found this book, read it, marked it up, retook the test, and passed it with a 95%. Look, we all know the LEED Green Associate Exam is new and the resources for study are VERY limited. This one’s the VERY best out there right now. I highly recommend it.”
—Consultant VA

“Complete overview for the LEED Green Associate exam”

“I studied this book for about three days and passed the exam … if you are truly interested in learning about the LEED system and green building design, this is a great place to start.”

—K.A. Evans

“Very effective study guide”

“I purchased both this study guide and Mr. Chen's LEED GA Mock Exams book and found them to be excellent tools for preparing for the LEED Green Associate Exam. While Mr. Chen's LEED Green Associate Exam Guide is not perfect (in that it's not the most user-friendly presentation of the material), it was very effective in at least presenting most, if not all, of the topics that the exam touched upon. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend my abbreviated strategy for preparing for the exam, the following worked for me: I read through the exam guide a couple of times (but not word for word), took the mock exam and referenced the guide for explanations for any wrong answers, did the same for the two mock exams in Mr. Chen's LEED GA Mock Exams book, flipped through the documents that Mr. Chen recommends, and took two other web-based mock exams that I purchased on eBay. Literally after ten hours of preparation time, I took the actual exam and passed with a 189, thanks in large part to Mr. Chen's books. If I decide to take one of the LEED AP exams in the future, I will definitely be picking up more of Mr. Chen's study materials.”

—shwee "shwee"

“Only study guide needed to pass on your first try”

“I don't write reviews, but I'm compelled to for this purchase. This was the only book I read and studied to prepare for the LEED Green Associate exam, and passed with ease on the first try today. I was over prepared for the exam by using this study guide, which is what I wanted on exam day. I bought the book, read it three times, learned a lot of good information, saved valuable time, and passed on the first try. By the way, I'm not a good test taker. I don't agree with any of the negative reviews that are posted... I'm glad I ignored those when I made the purchase and went with the majority. THIS PRODUCT DELIVERED THE RESULTS, CASE CLOSED. I'll be buying his LEED AP BD&C Exam Guide to prepare for the specialty exam. Thank you Mr. Gang Chen!!!”

—Lobo

“I just finished taking the LEED Green Associate Exam and, thankfully, I passed it on the first try by using this book as my primary study guide...I particularly liked the way the author organized the information within it.”

—Lewis Colon

“Just what is needed”

“I'm glad I used this book for my LEED Green Associate test, which I passed today. I tried other resources (stay away from the USGBC ones on their website!) but none were as organized as this book. When you're studying to pass the exam, you just need to know what to memorize (this would be different if you are trying to learn the concepts for work, which I think you're better off getting LEED project work experience!). Gang Chen's book gives you most of what you need to memorize in the core 120+ pages as opposed to other resources that are 250 pages full of fluff. Just remember, you only need to answer about 60% of the questions correct to pass the exam...

My tip is to get this book, read it three times (yes, three) to memorize the facts, take the mock test included to see where you need to improvement, and do a little outside research. You just need a 60% passing score...”

—N. Kong

“Best LEED Green Associate Study Package”

“This book is easy to read, and successfully gives you a much needed crash course on literally, how to study (for this exam and any other exam for that matter) and how to use the material provided most efficiently; the material in this book is able to zoom in on the most important items required to pass the exam, and deliver each item in a way which seems less technical and easier to remember (the bottom line). This book is one of a kind at the time of this review, and could be the most affordable tutor available.”

—P O "philz"

“My name is Elizabeth (last name deleted to protect her privacy) and I am a junior at the University of....(college name deleted to protect her privacy). This summer I attained an internship with Kath Williams and Associates, a collaborative of creative independent contractors who come together to support innovative green projects, to learn about sustainable building. At the beginning of July I spoke with Kath about taking the LEED Green Associate Exam. After having no prior experience in sustainable architecture or LEED buildings I used both your review book and the study guides by USGBC as my study references. I wanted to e-mail to thank you for such a comprehensive review guide that was enormously helpful in passing the exam. Without your guide I don't know if I would have passed. Thank you so much.”

—Elizabeth

“A Great Book for Preparing the LEED exam!”

“I have read almost all the books for LEED exams, and found LEED Exam Guide series to be the best. The USGBC Reference Guide was too detailed and kind of confusing. Some other third party books have too many grammatical mistakes, are hard to understand, and have way too many questions. The questions in those books are confusing instead of helpful. The USGBC workshop missed some of the very important information, like extra credits.

LEED Exam Guide series gives you just the right amount of information for you to pass the LEED exam. Each book in the series includes study materials, sample questions and answers, as well as mock exam and answers for a specific LEED exam. It also gives you the most information for you to get your building LEED certified. A Great book!”

—Ellen

“A Wonderful Guide for the LEED Green Associate Exam”

“After deciding to take the LEED Green Associate Exam, I started to look for the best possible study materials and resources. From what I thought would be a relatively easy task, it turned into a tedious endeavor. I realized that there are vast amounts of third-party guides and handbooks. Since the official sites offer little to no help, it became clear to me that my best chance to succeed and pass this exam would be to find the most comprehensive study guide that would not only teach me the topics, but would also give me a great background and understanding of what LEED actually is. Once I stumbled upon Mr. Chen’s book, all my needs were answered. This is a great study guide that will give the reader the most complete view of the LEED exam and all that it entails.

“The book is written in an easy-to-understand language and brings up great examples, tying the material to the real world. The information is presented in a coherent and logical way, which optimizes the learning process and does not go into details that will not be needed for the LEED Green Associate Exam, as many other guides do. This book stays dead on topic and keeps the reader interested in the material.

“I highly recommend this book to anyone that is considering the LEED Green Associate Exam. I learned a great deal from this guide, and I am feeling very confident about my chances for passing my upcoming exam.”

—Pavel Geystrin

“Like other books in the LEED Exam Guide series, this is a great timesaver! The important information that you need to memorize is already highlighted / underlined by the author. This really saved me a lot of time. I love it! A Great Timesaver!”

—Alice

“Easy to read, easy to understand”

“I have read through the book once and found it to be the perfect study guide for me. The author does a great job of helping you get into the right frame of mind for the content of the exam. I had started by studying the Green Building Design and Construction reference guide for LEED projects produced by the USGBC. That was the wrong approach, simply too much information with very little retention. At hundred of pages in textbook format, it would have been a daunting task to get through it. Gang Chen breaks down the points, helping to minimize the amount of information but maximizing the content I was able to absorb. I plan on going through the book a few more times, and I now believe I have the right information to pass the LEED Green Associate Exam.”

—Brian Hochstein

“All in one—LEED GA prep material”

“Since the LEED Green Associate Exam is a newer addition by USGBC, there is not much information regarding study material for this exam. When I started looking around for material, I got really confused about what material I should buy. This LEED GA guide by Gang Chen is an answer to all my worries! It is a very precise book with lots of information, like how to approach the exam, what to study and what to skip, links to online material, and tips and tricks for passing the exam. It is like the ‘one stop shop’ for the LEED Green Associate Exam. I think this book can also be a good reference guide for green building professionals. A must-have!”

—SwatiD

“I'm giving this book 5 stars, as it accomplishes exactly what the author promises. Read it multiple times and memorize the key points/stats/figures, and you will be poised to pass the test.”

—R. C. O'Brien

“Useful Study Guide”

“The book is by far the most useful study guide I've purchased for the LEED GA exam. The other books were far too vague and did not approach the kind of pragmatic detail you'd need to pass.”

—Swansong8

“Really Helpful”

“I purchased other exam preparation books for the LEED GA test and none of the others compared to this one. The layout and content of this book was much easier to use than the books from the USGBC. This book is all I needed to pass the test with its study tools like sample questions and exams. All in all a great buy!”

—Jamie

“Wonderful Resource!”

“This book is well organized and concise. The material is completely relevant and truly is what helped me to pass the LEED Green Associate Exam! I used this book as my primary study material and found it more than sufficient. I recommend this book to anyone preparing to take the LEED GA exam!”

—Joel I. Semel

“With this book, plus the little red book, LEED Green Associate Mock Exams, (also by Gang Chen) combined with all the free PDF downloads printed from the USGBC website, I passed my LEED GA exam on the first try! Gang Chen's books provide a concise and organized framework of all the info you need...Highly recommended.”

—Sarah Bartz

“Excellent resource!!!”

“I reviewed this book and memorized the charts and passed on the first try! This along with the practice exams by Gang Chen were all that I needed and included valuable tips for studying and additional (free) publications to refer to. This was an excellent purchase.”

—K. Lairet

“Great Study guide. Will DEFINITELY help you pass the exam!”

“I took the LEED Green Associate Exam this morning and passed with a score of 190/200. I used this book as my primary study tool. The only other thing I did was to read the Green Associates handbook and I used the LEED NC Reference Guide to check the information in the book. The book is broken down very well for studying making it much easier to memorize the data. The practice exam will prepare you well. It is much harder than the real exam. There was a lot of information in this book that showed up on the exam that I would not have known had I not read it.

My basic study schedule was about one day of reading the nontechnical chapters, one day devoted to the technical chapter about credits, and then the morning of the test to review my highlighted notes. I think if anyone studies this book until they pass the mock exam (I scored about a 70/100) and feel comfortable then they will be over prepared for the actual exam.”

—K. Mitchell "Kmitchell"

"LEED GA MOCK EXAMS (LEED v4)" has been published!

2014-06-27T20:35:00.001-07:00

Many of you ask us for the updated version for our LEED books. Your wait is over: "LEED GA MOCK EXAMS (LEED v4)" has been published!

Here is the detailed information:

LEED GA Mock Exams (LEED v4): Questions, Answers, and Explanations: A Must-Have for the LEED Green Associate Exam, Green Building LEED Certification, and Sustainability. Green Associate Exam Guide Series

ISBN-13: 9781612650197

Book Description:

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

The USGBC released LEED v4 in GreenBuild International Conference and Expo in November, 2013. The GBCI started to include the new LEED v4 content for all LEED exams in June 2014. We have incorporated the new LEED v4 content in this book.

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

From this book, you will be able to:
1. Identify your weakness through practice questions
2. Learn to work well under the pressure of timed tests
3. Check your responses against the solutions
4. Understand the solutions for the difficult questions through the explanations
5. Fully understand the scope, difficulty level, and format of the LEED Green Associate Exam
6. Learn how to pass the LEED Green Associate Exam.

There is NO official GBCI book on the LEED Green Associate Exam. "LEED GA Mock Exams" fills in the blanks and demystifies LEED. The book includes 200 questions and simulates the real exam in every aspect, including scope, difficulty level, format, and number of questions in each LEED category. It includes questions, answers, and explanations.

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

All our books are available at
GreenExamEducation.com

Check out FREE tips and info for all LEED Exams and ARE Exams at GeeForums.com, you can post your questions for other users' review.

Author Bio:

Gang Chen holds a master’s degree from the School of Architecture, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from the School of Architecture, South China University of Technology. He has more than 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, The Orange County Register, and more. 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 designs, highly-acclaimed urban design and streetscape projects, multifamily housing, high-end custom homes, and regional and neighborhood shopping centers.

Gang Chen is a LEED AP BD+C and a licensed architect in California. He is also the internationally acclaimed author of other fascinating books, including Building Construction, Planting Design Illustrated, the ARE Mock Exam series, and the LEED Exam Guide series, which includes one guidebook for each of the exams. For more information, visit www.GreenExamEducation.com

Can I take a FREE online course and qualify for LEED Green Associate (GA) Exam?

2010-10-12T15:41:00.001-07:00

Answer: Yes. Anyone can take the following FREE online course and qualify for LEED Green GA Exam:

https://www.usgbc.org/CourseCatalog/coursedetail.aspx?ID=90004028

"LEED GA MOCK EXAMS" has been published!

2010-08-29T22:19:00.001-07:00

"LEED GA MOCK EXAMS" (ISBN-10: 0984374124, ISBN-13: 9780984374120) has been published!

Why "LEED GA MOCK EXAMS" is needed?

First of all, there are many people who passed the LEED GA Exam by reading my book, "LEED GA Exam Guide" ONLY. There is one reader passed the LEED GA Exam by studying my book for three days.

Secondly, people learn in many different ways. Some people learn better by doing extra mock exams. If you want to be safe and do additional sample tests to find out if you are ready for the real exam, I would suggest "LEED GA Mock Exams."

The practice questions in "LEED GA Exam Guide" are normal in term of difficulty, but its mock exam is harder than the real LEED GA Exam. We want it to be harder to make the readers nervous and force them to go back and review the study materials in my book a few more times.

This approach is apparently working. Even the people who gave my book an unfair 1-start review passed the LEED GA Exam on the first try. The only complaint they have is that I have made them study too hard. So, they complaint and gave my book a 1-star review instead of thanking me for helping them passing the LEED GA Exam. Well, I'd rather my readers pass the LEED GA Exam on the first try. It is better safe than sorry.

A set of hard mock exam can be very helpful: What does not kill you makes you stronger.

We want your LEED knowledge to peak on the day of the LEED GA Exam, NOT before or after. One way to achieve this goal is to make you nervous and keep the pressure on, and you will be willing to go back and seriously study and keep reviewing the materials in my book. It is a hard fight against human brain's natural tendency to forget things:

"The process of memorization is like filling a cup with a hole at the bottom: You need to fill it faster than the water leaks out at the bottom, and you need to constantly fill it; otherwise, it will quickly be empty.

Once you memorize something, your brain has already started the process of forgetting it. It is natural. That is how we have enough space left in our brain to remember the really important things." ---Quoted from page 5 of "LEED GA Exam Guide."

Our goal is for "LEED GA Exam Guide" to stand alone. In fact, there are readers who passed the LEED GA Exam by reading "LEED GA Exam Guide" ONLY. One reader passed the LEED GA Exam by studying it for three days. If you choose ANY other books (most of them constantly refer you back to the 700-page USGBC reference guide, and do not stand alone at all) or study materials, you need at least 3 weeks to even go through their study materials once, let alone reviewing the materials several times or passing the LEED GA Exam.

To balance your exam prep effort, the sample tests in "LEED GA Mock Exams" are very close to the real exams. They will definitely help you.

For more info, see:

http://www.architeg.com/pub-details.php?i=9

See all my published books at:

http://GreenExamEducation.com/

Editorial Reviews for "LEED GA Exam Guide"

2010-08-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

Finally! A comprehensive study tool for LEED GA Prep!

I took the 1-day Green LEED GA course and walked away with a power point binder printed in very small print, which was missing MUCH of the required information (although I didn't know it at the time). I studied my little heart out and took the test; only to fail it by 1 point. Turns out I did NOT study all the material I needed to in order to pass the test. I found this book, read it, marked it up, re-took the test, and passed it with a 95%. Look, we all know the LEED GA exam is new, and the resources for study are VERY limited. This one's the VERY best out there right now. I highly recommend it.

---ConsultantVA

Complete overview for the LEED GA exam

I studied this book for about three days and passed the exam. It does have some information you don't need to know for the GA exam, so I wouldn't recommend it for someone looking to just get some quick credentials. However, if you are truly interested in learning about the LEED system and green building design, this is a great place to start.

---K.A Evans

A Great Book for Preparing the LEED Exam!

I have read almost all the books for LEED Exams, and found LEED Exam Guide Series to be the best. The USGBC Reference Guide was too detailed and kind of confusing. Some other third party books have too many grammatical mistakes and are hard to understand, and way too many questions. The questions in those books are confusing instead of helpful. The USGBC workshop missed some of the very important information, like extra credits.

LEED Exam Guide Series gives you just the right amount of information for you to pass the LEED exam. Each book in the series includes study materials, sample questions and answers, as well as mock exam and answers for a specific LEED exam. It also gives you the most information for you to get your building LEED certified. A Great book!

---Ellen

Thank you for such a comprehensive review guide that was enormously helpful in passing the exam

My name is Elizabeth (last name deleted to protect her privacy) and I am a junior at the University of.... (college name deleted to protect her privacy). This summer I attained an internship with Kath Williams and Associates, a collaborative of creative independent contractors who come together to support innovative green projects, to learn about sustainable building. At the beginning of July I spoke with Kath about taking the LEED Green Associate Exam. After having no prior experience in sustainable architecture or LEED buildings I used both your review book and the study guides by USGBC as my study references. I wanted to e-mail to thank you for such a comprehensive review guide that was enormously helpful in passing the exam. Without your guide I don't know if I would have passed. Thank you so much.

---Elizabeth

A Great Timesaver!

Like other books in the LEED Exam Guide Series, this is a great timesaver! The important information that you need to memorize is already highlighted / underlined by the author. This can really save me a lot of time. I love it! A Great Timesaver!

---Alice

A Wonderful Guide for the LEED GA Exam!

After deciding to take the LEED GA exam, I started to look for the best possible study materials and resources. From what I thought would be a relatively easy task, it turned into a tedious endeavor. I realized that there vast amounts of 3rd party guides and hand books. Since the official sites are a little to no help, it became clear to me that my best chance to succeed and pass this exam is to find the most comprehensive study guide, that will not only teach me the topics, but will also give me a great background and understanding of what LEED actually is. Once I stumbled upon Mr Chen's book, all my needs were answered. This is a great study guide that will give the reader the most complete view of the LEED exam and all that it entails.

The book is written in an easy to understand language, and brings great example, tying the materials to the real world. The information is presented in a coherent and logical way, which optimizes the learning process and does not go into detail that will not be needed for the LEED GA exam, as many other guides do. This book stays dead on topic, and keeps the reader interested in the material.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is considering the LEED GA exam. I learned a great deal from this guide, and I am feeling very confident about my chances in my upcoming exam.

---Pavel Geystrin

Easy to read, easy to understand

I have read through the book once and found it to be the perfect study guide for me. The author does a great job of helping you get into the right frame of mind for the content of the exam. I had started by studying the Green Building Design and Construction reference guide for LEED projects produced by the USGBC. That was the wrong approach. Simply too much information with very little retention. At 636 pages in a textbook format, it would have been a daunting task to get through it. Gang Chen breaks down the points helping to minimize the amount of information but maximizing the content I was able to absorb. I plan on going through the book a few more times and I now believe I have the right information to pass the LEED GA exam.

---Brian Hochstein

All in one - LEED GA prep material

Since LEED Green Associate exam is a newer addition by USGBC, there is not much information regarding study material for this exam. When I started looking around for material, I got really confused as what material I should buy? This LEED GA guide by Gang Chen is an answer to all my worries! It is a very precise book with lots of information like how to approach the exam, what to study and what to skip, links to online material and tips and tricks for passing the exam. It is like "one stop shop" for Green Associate exam. I think this book can also be a good reference guide for green building professionals. A must have!!

---SwatiD

An ESSENTIAL LEED GA Exam Reference Guide

This book is an invaluable tool in preparation for the LEED Green Associate (GA) exam. As practicing professional in the consulting realm, I found this book to be all inclusive of the preparatory material needed for sitting the exam. The information provides clarity to the fundamental and advanced concepts of what LEED aims to achieve. A tremendous benefit is the connectivity of the concepts with real world applications.

The author, Gang Chen, provides a vast amount of knowledge in a very clear, concise, and logical media. For those that have not picked up a textbook in awhile it is very manageable to extract the needed information from this book. If you are taking the exam, do yourself a favor and purchase a copy of this great guide. Applicable fields: Civil Engineering, Architectural Design, MEP, and General Land Development.

---Edwin L. Tamang

LEED GA EXAM GUIDE - A Good book

A great concise study guide for taking the LEED exams. It doesn't detour from its main purpose - - passing the LEED Green Associate exam for LEED Certification. Can't wait until I take the exam and get my results back. Gang Chen did a great service for the architecture community!!!

---Christopher Real "The Real Deal"

Recommended!

I'd definitely recommend this product. It fulfills what it claims it will do.

I'd say if you study from this source and one or two other 'big' sources (as the candidate handbook's references, rockwood's guide) you will get the knowledge and understanding needed to pass the Green Assoc. exam.

Pros:

-General studying skills are interesting to apply and are developed throughout the book.

-Straightforward 'no losing time' methodology.

-Goes the extra mile and starts preparing you for Tier 2 exams.

Cons:

- Not good enough Book Design. The way info is laid out might confuse you more than if it were better displayed.

- Might be a little overwhelming as a 1st reference. I'd say you read this when you have acquired a basic general knowledge of the LEED rating systems.

Keep up the good work Mr. Chen!

I sat for the Green Assoc. exam last week and did great.

You had a lot to do with it, I wanted to thank you!

---Daniel Cazap

One of the best "How To" books I've read!

After reading Gang Chen's book on preparation for the LEED exams, I consider it to be one of the best "How To" books I've read. He has done an extraordinary job in organizing the book in a way to make it easily understood and has provided several tips on how to study and remember

the material. I also liked the many links he provided for additional information. It is definitely a 5-Star Book.

---Hal Shipley

Clear, Concise, and Easy to Follow!

If you are beginning to look at study materials for the LEED Green Associate exam, you might feel overwhelmed by the many options, prices, and sizes of some of the resources out there. Gang Chen offers a condensed but comprehensive version of this material in the "LEED GA Exam Guide", by focusing on the really important information that every LEED examinee should memorize or be familiar with. His information is clear, concise, and arranged in a textual format, which makes the material easy to follow. He provides some interesting and useful study methods and strategies for the exam, such as the "3016 rule", as well as ready to consume mnemonics to help you memorize the actual exam material. He has even underlined all the key topics and information already, so you don't have to.

This book is a great study guide in that it offers both the technical material you need to know and a mock exam to test what you learned. I used this book as my main resource to pass the LEED GA exam, but I also think that it would be a useful read for anyone who wants to understand the basics of the new LEED 2009 v3.0 system. For further in depth LEED knowledge, there is also a good list of valuable websites and links to free study material.

---P Kortje

Outstanding - a MUST Read for Anyone Taking a Standardized Test!

LEED GA Exam Guide by Gang Chen is incredibly well written and the only tool you will need to pass the LEED GA exam. The book is extremely well organized and concise, making it easy to understand and comprehend. While Mr. Chen does an excellent job of laying out and explaining what is required to pass the exam, the book is worth purchasing just for many of the test taking tips. As an international contractor who has taken many contractor's license exams, I wish I had many of these tools available to me previously. If you are planning to take the LEED GA or any other standardized test, you need this book!

--- J. W. Zimmerman "wz pilot"

Do I need to do many practice questions to prepare for a LEED exam?

2010-08-29T22:14:00.001-07:00

There is NO absolutely correct answer to your question. People learn in many different ways. Personally I am NOT crazy about doing a lot of practice questions: think about it, if you do 700 practice questions, you'll have to read 700 questions, and each question has at least 4 choices. That is at least 2,800 choices and it means a lot of words for you to read. I have seen some third party materials that have 1,200 practice questions. That will cost you even MORE time to go over the materials.

I prefer to spend most of my time to read, digest and really understand the fundamental materials, and MEMORIZE them naturally by reading the materials multiple times. This is because the fundamental materials for ANY exam will NOT change, and the scope of the exam will NOT change for the same main version of the test (until the exam moves to the next advanced version), but there are thousands of ways to ask you questions.

If you have a limited amount of time and effort like most people, it is more efficient for you to focus on the fundamental materials and actually master the knowledge that GBCI wants you to learn. If you can do that, then no matter how GBCI changes the exam format or how GBCI asks you the questions, you will do fine in the exam.

"Strategy 101 for the LEED Green Associate Exam is that you must recognize that you have only a limited amount of time to prepare for the exam. So, you must concentrate your time and effort on the most important content of the LEED Green Associate Exam...

The key to passing the LEED Green Associate Exam, or any other exam, is to know the scope of the exam, and not to read too many books. Select one or two really good books and focus on them. Actually understand the content and memorize it. For your convenience, I have underlined the fundamental information that I think is very important. You definitely need to memorize all the information that I have underlined. You should try to understand the content first, and then memorize the content of the book by reading it multiple times. This is a much better way than "mechanical" memory without understanding. ..

Most people fail the exam NOT because they cannot answer the few "advanced" questions on the exam, but because they have read the information but canNOT recall it on the day of the exam. They spend too much time preparing for the exam, drag the preparation process on too long, seek too much information, go to too many websites, do too many practice questions and too many mock exams (one or two sets of mock exams can be good for you), and spread themselves too thin. They end up missing out on the most important information of the LEED exam, and they will fail."

---Quoted from pages XIX, XXI and 6 of "LEED GA Exam Guide"

To me, Memorization and Understanding helps each other. Understanding always comes first. If you really understand something, then Memorization is really easy.

For example, I'll read a book's first chapter very slowly but make sure I REALLY understand everything in it. I'll take whatever it takes for me to REALLY understand the materials, I do NOT care others are much faster than me in reading it. Then, I'd re-read the first chapter again. This time, the reading is so much easier, and I can read it much faster, and then I'll try to re-tell the content in my own language: I re-tell the substance, not the formats or particular order of things. This is a very good way for me to understand and digest the materials, and ABSORB and TAKE the content with me.

I'll repeat the same procedure for each chapter, and then keeping re-read the book until I take the exam. This achieves two purposes:

1. I keep reinforcing the important materials that I already have memorized, and fight against human brain's natural tendency to forget things.

2. I also understand the content of the book much better by reading it multiple times.

If you asked me to memorize something without understanding it first, it'll be very hard for me to memorize it; Even if I memorize it, it'll be very easy for me to forget it.

I always find doing too many practice questions takes too much time and is not efficient. Doing 2 or 3 sets of practice questions can be helpful, NOT 7 sets or 12 sets.

This is my suggestion, and it may help you.

Copyright 2010 Gang Chen, Author, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Latest trend for LEED Exams

2010-08-29T22:13:00.001-07:00

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:

http://www.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.

Where can you find books written by Gang Chen?

2009-12-13T23:41:00.001-08:00

See links below:

http://greenexameducation.com/

http://www.architeg.com/publications.php
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS00RK

Why is "LEED GA Exam Guide" needed?

2009-11-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

The LEED Green Associate (GA) Exam is a brand new exam GBCI launched in 2009. The biggest problem for LEED GA Exam is the shortage of LEED GA Exam prep materials.

The LEED Green Associate Exam is the most important LEED exam for two reasons:

1. You have to pass it in order to get the title of LEED Green Associate.

2. It is also the required Part One (2 hours) of ALL LEED AP+ exams. You have to pass it plus Part Two (2 hours) of the specific LEED AP+ exam of your choice to get any LEED AP+ title unless you have passed the old LEED AP exam before June 30, 2009.

There are a few ways to prepare for the LEED Green Associate Exam:

1. You can take USGBC courses or workshops. You should take USGBC classes at both the 100 (Awareness) and 200 (LEED Core Concepts and Strategies) level to successfully prepare for the exam A one-day course can cost $445 if you register early enough, and can be as expensive as $495 if you miss the early bird special. You will also have to wait until the USGBC workshops or courses are offered in a city near you.

OR
2. Take USGBC online courses. You can go to the USGBC or GBCI websites for information. The USGBC online courses are less personal and still expensive.

OR
3. The USGBC's "Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide." It is somewhat useful, but does not have enough information for you to pass the LEED GA Exam.

OR
4. The USGBC Reference Guides: They are comprehensive, but they give too much information. Searching for information related to LEED GA Exam from the USGBC Reference Guides is like "looking for a needle in a haystack." For example, The LEED 2009 Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction (BD&C) has about 700 full-size pages. Many of the calculations in the books are too detailed for the exam. They are also expensive (approximately $200 each, so most people may not buy them for their personal use, but instead, will seek to share an office copy).

It is good to read a reference guide from cover to cover if you have the time. The problem is that few people have the time to read the whole reference guide. Even if you do read the whole guide, you may not remember the important issues to pass the LEED exam. You need to reread the material several times before you can remember much of it.

Reading the reference guide from cover to cover without a guidebook is a difficult and inefficient way of preparing for the LEED GA exam, because you do NOT know what USGBC and GBCI are looking for in the exam.

OR
5. Various books published by a third party are available on Amazon. However, most of them are not very helpful.

To stay at the forefront of the LEED and green building movement, I sign up for USGBC courses and workshops myself, and I review the USGBC and GBCI websites and many other sources to get as much information as possible on LEED. Based on this very comprehensive research, I summarize the information in my latest book, "LEED GA Exam Guide: A Must-Have for the LEED Green Associate Exam: Comprehensive Study Materials, Sample Questions, Mock Exam, Green Building LEED Certification, and Sustainability (LEED v3.0)." I have done the hard work so that you can save time preparing for the exam by reading it.

"LEED GA Exam Guide" will fill in the blanks and become a valuable, reliable source:

a. It will give you more information for your money. It has more information than the related USGBC workshops.

b. It is exam-oriented and more effective than the USGBC reference guides.

c. It is better than most, if not all, of the other third-party books. It gives you comprehensive study materials, sample questions and answers, mock exams and answers, and critical information on building LEED certification and going green. Other third-party books only give you a fraction of the information.

d. It is comprehensive yet concise. It is small and easy to carry around. You can read it whenever you have a few extra minutes.

e. It is great a timesaver. I have highlighted the important information that you need to understand and MEMORIZE. I also make some acronyms and short sentences to help you easily remember the credit names.

It should take you about 1 to 2 weeks of full-time study to pass each of the LEED exams. I have met people who have spent 40 hours to study and passed the exams.

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.

Why is "LEED GA Exam Guide" the most CURRENT and comprehensive book on LEED GA Exam in the market?

2009-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

Many of you asked when my updated version of LEED books would be available.

Your wait is over: "LEED GA Exam Guide" is available NOW!

See link below for sample pages:
http://outskirtspress.com/leedgaexamguide

"LEED GA Exam Guide" (ISBN-10: 1432741683, ISBN-13: 9781432741686) is the most current, exam-oriented, and comprehensive book on LEED GA Exam in the market for the following reasons:

It is based on information from the latest USGBC "Green Building Design and Construction Reference Guide," and the related USGBC workshops, and comprehensive information gathered from many websites, PLUS a lot of information, mnemonics, and study techniques relevant to the exam but is NOT covered by the USGBC reference guide or workshops or any other similar books.

It includes all the relevant features that you love in "LEED AP Exam Guide" (ISBN-10: 1432728423, ISBN-13: 9781432728427), but updated to the latest LEED v3.0.

I added new content including: submittals and synergies for each credit or prerequisite; core concepts, recognition, regulations, and incentives for each credit category; more sample questions; valuable information specifically tailored to LEED Green Associate Exam.

I also used a new and better copy editor for "LEED GA Exam Guide," Barry. Barry is very detail-oriented and helped to substantially improve the quality of the book. Barry and I have reviewed and edited "LEED GA Exam Guide" for at least 16 times before the final publication.

"LEED GA Exam Guide" is very comprehensive but is still much easier to read, at a portable size, and will save you a lot of valuable exam prep time when compared with the 700-page, large-format USGBC "Green Building Design and Construction Reference Guide."

Some people say ANYONE can take the LEED Green Associate Exam, is it true?

2009-11-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

The short answer is: Yes.

If you are taking LEED Green Associate Exam, you need to meet one of the three criteria below:

1) Studying in an education program that addresses green building principles

Per USGBC: "GBCI has confirmed that all of USGBC's education programs, with the exception of its webinars, satisfy this requirement." See link below for more information:
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=2011

This means ANYONE can take the LEED Green Associate Exam.

Why?
Because ANYONE can take the one of the USGBC's education programs listed at link above and qualified for the exam as long as he is willing to pay the fee (about a few hundred dollars, exact fee is depending on which program he chooses). You probably will take one of these education programs to prepare for the LEED exam anyway.

OR
2) Working in a sustainable field

OR
3) Have previous experience supporting a LEED-registered project

Gang Chen, AIA, LEED AP, Bestselling Author of "LEED GA Exam Guide" and other books on Architecture, LEED and Landscape (www.LEEDSeries.com)

I do not have Green Certification experience or contracting, engineering, design, etc. Can I pass the LEED AP Exam? Will you recommend your book to me

2009-11-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Question from a reader:
I came across a blog with information from you about passing the LEED exams. I am in the health care field and would like to switch careers to the Green Industry. I have soft skills such as management, consulting and marketing, sales etc... I do not have Green Certification experience or contracting, engineering, design etc...so I am a very unique candidate. I want to take the exam this year...

Would you recommend your book to me? I have limited funds and cannot afford to spend money on classes, guides etc. I do have 3-4 hours a day to study. What do you recommend? I have another friend in the same boat. Where on Amazon can we find your book?

Gang Chen's answer:I highly recommend my book to you and your friend. You are the kind of people that I am writing the book for. The whole purpose of writing my book is to help people to save time and money and pass the exam.

A LEED Exam is not easy because it does require you to understand and MEMORIZE some important information. My book simplifies the process and is written for people with 7 grade or higher education, and I already underlined the info that you need to memorize.

Sample Pages and Table of Contents, etc. for "LEED GA Exam Guide"

2009-11-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

See link below:
http://outskirtspress.com/leedgaexamguide

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

2009-11-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

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 (www.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:

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222c.

There are so MANY different ways to study for and pass the LEED exam. Pick the 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 NC 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.

Why is the LEED Exam Guides Series Needed?

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A number of books are available that you can use to prepare for the LEED Exams:

1. USGBC Reference Guides. You need to select the correct version of the Reference Guide for your exam.

The USGBC Reference Guides are comprehensive, but they give too much information. For example, The LEED 2009 Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction (BD&C) has about 700 oversized pages. Many of the calculations in the books are too detailed for the exam. They are also expensive (approximately $200 each, so most people may not buy them for their personal use, but instead, will seek to share an office copy).

It is good to read a reference guide from cover to cover if you have the time. The problem is that few people have the time to read the whole reference guide. Even if you do read the whole guide, you may not remember the important issues to pass the LEED exam. You need to reread the material several times before you can remember much of it.

Reading the reference guide from cover to cover without a guidebook is a difficult and inefficient way of preparing for the LEED exams, because you do NOT know what USGBC and GBCI are looking for in the exam.

2. The USGBC workshops and related handouts are concise, but they do not cover extra credits (exemplary performance). The workshops are expensive, costing approximately $450 each.

3. Various books published by a third party are available on Amazon. However, most of them are not very helpful.

There are many books on LEED, but not all are useful.

Each book in the LEED Exam Guides Series will fill in the blanks and become a valuable, reliable source:

a. They will give you more information for your money. Each of the books in the LEED Exam Guides Series has more information than the related USGBC workshops.

b. They are exam-oriented and more effective than the USGBC reference guides.

c. They are better than most, if not all, of the other third-party books. They give you comprehensive study materials, sample questions and answers, mock exams and answers, and critical information on building LEED certification and going green. Other third-party books only give you a fraction of the information.

d. They are comprehensive yet concise. They are small and easy to carry around. You can read them whenever you have a few extra minutes.

e. They are great timesavers. I have highlighted the important information that you need to understand and MEMORIZE. I also make some acronyms and short sentences to help you easily remember the credit names.

It should take you about 1 to 2 weeks of full-time study to pass each of the LEED exams. I have met people who have spent 40 hours to study and passed the exams.

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.

See LEEDSeries.com for a complete list of ALL books in the LEED Exam Guides Series.

Disclaimer for LEED Exam Guide Series

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Each book in LEED Exam Guide Series provides general information about one specific LEED Exam and related green building LEED Certification. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not providing legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal, accounting, and other professional services are required, seek the services of a competent professional firm.

It is not the purpose of the book to reprint the content of all other available texts on the subject. You are urged to read other available texts and tailor them to fit your needs.

Great effort has been made to make the book as complete and accurate as possible; however, nobody is perfect, and there may be typographical or other mistakes. You should use the book as a general guide and not as the ultimate source on this subject.

The book is intended to provide general, entertaining, informative, educational, and enlightening content. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable to anyone or any entity for any loss or damages, or alleged loss and damages, caused directly or indirectly by the content of the book.

USGBC and LEED are trademarks of the US Green Building Council. The US Green Building Council is not affiliated with the publication of any book in the LEED Exam Guide Series.