Preface for "LEED ID&C Exam Guide"

There are two main purposes for this book: to help you pass the LEED AP ID+C (Building Design and Construction) Exam and to assist you with understanding the process of getting a building LEED certified.




The LEED AP ID+C Exam has two parts (or sections):



Part One is EXACTLY the same as the LEED Green Associate Exam. It has 100 multiple choice questions and must be finished within two hours (The total exam time for BOTH parts of the exam is four hours). In this book, "LEED AP ID+C Exam Part One," "LEED AP ID+C Exam Section One," and "LEED Green Associate Exam" are used interchangeably since they are EXACTLY the same.



Part Two is the LEED AP ID+C specialty exam. It focuses on information and knowledge related directly to green interior design and construction (ID+C). It also contains 100 multiple choice questions and must be finished within two hours.



Both sections (Part One and Part Two) of the LEED AP ID+C Exam must be taken back-to-back in the same sitting. The only exception is when a test taker fails one of the two parts, he can retake only the failed section of the exam at a later date.



The raw exam score is converted to a scaled score ranging from 125 to 200. The passing score is 170 or higher. You need to answer about 60 questions correctly for each section to pass. There is an optional 10-minute tutorial for computer testing before the exam and an optional 10-minute exit survey.



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 AP ID+C 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 Part One of the exam. USGBC classes at 300 level (Green Interior Design and Construction: The LEED Implementation Process) can be taken to prepare for Part Two of the exam. A one-day course normally costs $450 (as of publication) with an early registration discount, otherwise it is $500. 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. Refer to the USGBC or GBCI websites for information. The USGBC online courses are less personal and still expensive.



OR

3. Read related books. Unfortunately, there are few official USGBC books on the LEED AP ID+C Exam, and, as of publication, no exam guides with sample questions. LEED AP ID+C Exam Guide is one of the first books covering this subject and will fill in this blank to assist you with passing the exam.



To stay at the forefront of the LEED and green building movement and make my books more valuable to their readers, I sign up for USGBC courses and workshops myself. I review the USGBC and GBCI websites and many other sources to get as much information as possible on LEED. LEED AP ID+C Exam Guide is a result of this very comprehensive research. I have done the hard work so that you can save time preparing for the exam by reading this book.



Strategy 101 for the LEED AP ID+C 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 AP ID+C Exam. To assist you with achieving this goal, the book is broken into two major sections: (1) the study materials and (2) the sample questions and mock exam.



Chapter One covers LEED Exam Preparation Strategies, Methods, Tips, Suggestions, Mnemonics, and Exam Tactics to Improve Your Exam Performance.



Chapters Two and Three cover general information. I use the question and answer format to try to give you the most comprehensive coverage on the subject of the LEED AP exam. I have given you only the correct answers and information to save you time, i.e., you do not need to waste your time reading and remembering the wrong information. As long as you understand and remember the correct information, you can pass the test, no matter how the USGBC changes the format of the exam.



Chapter Four contains the LEED AP ID+C Exam Technical Review, including Overall Purpose, Mnemonics, Core Concepts, Recognition, Regulation and Incentives, Overall Strategies and Technologies, and Specific Technical Information.



Specific Technical Information for each credit includes Purpose, Credit Path, Considerations and Benefits, Submittals, Synergies, Possible Strategies and Technologies, Extra Credit (Exemplary Performance), Project Phase, LEED Submittal Phase, Related Code or Standard, and Responsible Party.



The final section contains sample questions and a mock exam. These are intended to match the latest real LEED AP ID+C Exam as closely as possible and assist you in becoming familiar with the format of the exam.



Most people already have some knowledge of LEED. I suggest that you use a highlighter when you read this book; you can highlight the content that you are not familiar with when you read the book for the first time. Try covering the answer and then read the question. If you come up with the correct answer before you read the book, you do not need to highlight the question and answer. If you cannot come up with the correct answer before you read the book, then highlight that question. This way, when you do your review later and read the book for the second time, you can focus on the portions that you are not familiar with and save yourself a lot of time. You can repeat this process with different colored highlighters until you are very familiar with the content of this book. Then, you will be ready to take the LEED AP ID+C Exam.



The key to passing the LEED AP ID+C 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.



There is a part of the LEED AP ID+C Exam that you can control by reading study materials: the section regarding the number of points and credit process for the LEED building rating system. Become very familiar with every major credit category and try to answer all questions related to this part correctly.



There is also a part of the exam that you may not be able to control. You may not have done actual LEED building certification, so there will be some questions that may require you to guess. This is the hardest part of the exam, but these questions should be only a small percentage of the test if you are well prepared. Eliminate the obvious wrong answers and then attempt an educated guess. There is no penalty for guessing. If you have no idea what the correct answer is and cannot eliminate any obvious wrong answer, then do not waste too much time on the question, just pick a guess answer. The key is, try to use the same guess answer for all of the questions that you are completely unsure of. For example, if you choose "d" as the guess answer, then be consistent and use "d" as the guess answer for all the questions that are completely unsure of. That way, you likely have a better chance of guessing more correct answers.



This is not an easy exam, but you should be able to pass it if you prepare well. If you set your goal for a high score and study hard, you will have a better chance of passing. If you set your goal for the minimum passing score of 170, you will probably end up scoring 169 and fail, and you will have to retake the exam again. That will be the last thing you want. Give yourself plenty of time and do not wait until the last minute to begin preparing for the exam. I have met people who have spent 40 hours preparing and passed the exam, but I suggest that you give yourself at least two to three weeks of preparation time. On the night before the exam, look through the questions on the mock exam that you did not answer correctly and remember what the correct answers are. Read this book carefully, prepare well, relax and put yourself in the best physical, mental and psychological state on the day of the exam, and you will pass.