LEED Green Associate (GBCI) — LEED v5 exam
The entry-level green building credential — learn how LEED v5 works and why each strategy matters, one realistic project at a time.
About the exam
The LEED Green Associate credential, awarded by GBCI, shows you understand green building practice and how the LEED rating system works. It is the foundation credential for architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, product reps, students and anyone else who works on or around LEED projects, and it is the first step toward a LEED AP with specialty.
The exam is now built on LEED v5. It is 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, scored on a 125–200 scale with 170 needed to pass. The handbook's outline assigns 85 questions to eight domains — the LEED process, integrative process, location and transportation, sustainable sites, water, energy and atmosphere (the heaviest, with decarbonization and refrigerants), materials and embodied carbon, and indoor environmental quality — and GBCI notes that some questions on the form are unscored. Questions test recall, application and analysis.
QuizMe follows the v5 handbook domain for domain, with questions written as project situations: which strategy fits, which team member owns it, which category gets the credit, and what the v5 impact areas — decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration — mean in practice. Our domain weights are proportional to the handbook outline, and the timed test mixes all eight domains like the real exam.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
GBCI LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook, LEED v5 exam specifications (handbook updated September 2026). The handbook states the current exam is based on the LEED v5 rating system; v5 beta testing ran in spring 2026. — Eight LEED v5 domains: LEED Process 15 · Integrative Process 6 · Location & Transportation 9 · Sustainable Sites 8 · Water Efficiency 10 · Energy & Atmosphere 15 · Materials & Resources 11 · Indoor Environmental Quality 11 (85 outlined questions). Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 LEED Process 15 of 85 outlined questions (~18%) of the exam
53 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Integrative Process Planning and Assessments 6 of 85 outlined questions (~7%) of the exam
21 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Location and Transportation 9 of 85 outlined questions (~11%) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Sustainable Sites 8 of 85 outlined questions (~9%) of the exam
28 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Water Efficiency 10 of 85 outlined questions (~12%) of the exam
35 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Energy and Atmosphere 15 of 85 outlined questions (~18%) of the exam
53 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Materials and Resources 11 of 85 outlined questions (~13%) of the exam
39 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Indoor Environmental Quality 11 of 85 outlined questions (~13%) of the exam
39 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Built on the LEED v5 handbook
Every question is tagged to one of the eight v5 exam domains and its knowledge area, weighted like the GBCI outline.
Hints that point to the principle
Reveal the concept behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer explains why it's right and why the tempting wrong choices aren't.
Adaptive practice
Practice steers toward your weakest domains, so Energy and Atmosphere and the LEED process get the attention the exam gives them.
Timed practice tests
100 questions in 2 hours at the real exam's pace, with a pacing indicator and full review.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for terms, thresholds and acronyms, project walkthroughs that follow a building from goal setting to certification, and illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every domain
Each domain moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know when you're ready to book.
Test at home or at a center
Create a USGBC account, link any USGBC membership before you register (that's how member pricing applies), then register and pay for the exam and schedule your Prometric appointment. Fees are posted on the USGBC LEED Green Associate page.
At a Prometric test center
- Schedule through Prometric after you register with GBCI.
- Bring the ID the handbook requires, matching the name on your registration.
- Arrive early — plan about 2 hours 20 minutes for check-in, the tutorial and the exam.
- Rescheduling or cancelling 30–45 days out costs $30, 4–29 days out $60, and within 3 days isn't allowed.
Online with remote proctoring
- Taken through Prometric's ProProctor application on your own computer.
- Run the system check well before exam day and test from a quiet, private room with a clear desk.
- The same 100 questions, 2-hour limit and 125–200 scale as the test-center exam.
- Accommodations are available at no extra charge — request them when you register.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 100 questions in 2 hours.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test matches the real exam: 100 questions in 120 minutes, drawn from all eight domains in proportion to the handbook outline.
The week before
- Take a full 100-question timed practice exam and review every miss by domain.
- Drill the v5 category abbreviations (IP, LT, SS, WE, EA, MR, EQ, PR) and the three impact areas.
- Review certification levels, the certification process and who does what on a project team.
- Confirm your appointment, ID and — if testing online — your ProProctor system check.
During the test
- Budget a little over a minute a question; flag anything that takes longer and come back.
- Read every stem for the category it's really asking about — many wrong choices are good strategies in the wrong category.
- Look for the choice that addresses the root goal (reduce demand first, then efficiency, then renewables).
- Answer every question; there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- Some questions are unscored pretest items — a strange one may not even count.
- Eliminate choices that are true but don't answer the question asked.
- Change an answer only when you find a specific reason.
After you pass
- Your score report shows your scaled score; 170 or higher on the 125–200 scale earns the credential.
- The credential runs on a 2-year reporting period that starts on your exam date and ends 2 years minus 1 day later.
- To renew, earn and report continuing education hours in your Credentials Dashboard under GBCI's Credential Maintenance Program, then renew — the CMP Guide sets the hours and fee.
- Ready for more? The LEED AP with specialty exams build directly on the Green Associate.
Official sources and further reading
- GBCI — LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook ↗Official v5 exam format, scoring, policies and the full exam specifications (updated September 2026).
- USGBC — LEED Green Associate credential page ↗Current exam fees, member pricing and registration.
- USGBC — Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) Guide ↗Continuing-education hours and renewal rules for LEED credentials.
Ready to start?
300 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
LEED® and USGBC® are registered trademarks of the U.S. Green Building Council; LEED Green Associate™ is a credential of Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by USGBC or GBCI. All questions are original. Details are summarized from the GBCI candidate handbook; formats, fees and rating-system content change — always confirm at usgbc.org.