What You're Dealing With
- 100 multiple-choice questions (85 scored, 15 pretest), 2 hours. No calculations, no design problems — it's a conceptual exam.
- $250 fee ($200 for USGBC members). No prerequisites — anyone can take it.
- Four weeks of structured study is plenty. The challenge is volume (dozens of credits across multiple categories), not complexity.
- Understand credit intent, not point values. The exam tests "why does this credit exist?" not "how many points is it worth?"
What the LEED GA Actually Tests
GBCI administers the exam at Prometric centers. It covers green building concepts and the LEED rating system framework — not deep expertise in any single credit, but broad understanding of how the whole system fits together.
The content spans: the LEED certification process (registration, documentation, review, the four certification levels), integrative design, Location and Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation, and Regional Priority.
No formal prerequisites. The credential requires 15 CE hours every 2 years to maintain ($50 fee).
Four Weeks, Structured
Week 1 — The Framework. Big picture first. How does LEED certification work? What's the difference between prerequisites (mandatory, no points) and credits (optional, earn points)? What are the four certification levels and their point thresholds? When do you use BD+C vs. ID+C vs. O+M vs. ND vs. Homes? What's the integrative process and why does LEED emphasize it? This last one gets tested repeatedly — green building decisions are interdependent, and the exam wants you to understand that a choice about building orientation affects both energy performance and daylighting.
Week 2 — Location/Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency. Location and Transportation: reducing automobile dependence (transit proximity, bike facilities, reduced parking, infill development). Sustainable Sites: site selection, stormwater management (bioswales, permeable paving, green roofs), heat island reduction, light pollution. Water Efficiency: indoor and outdoor water reduction targets, cooling tower management, non-potable water strategies (rainwater harvesting, graywater reuse). Know the concepts and strategies, not the exact thresholds.
Week 3 — Energy, Materials, IEQ. Energy and Atmosphere is the heaviest category in most LEED rating systems. Key concepts: energy modeling against ASHRAE 90.1 baseline, the Optimize Energy Performance credit (biggest single credit), renewable energy, commissioning (know what it means and why LEED requires it), refrigerant management. Materials and Resources: life-cycle assessment, EPDs, material ingredient reporting, construction waste management. Indoor Environmental Quality: ventilation (ASHRAE 62.1), air quality, thermal comfort, daylighting, acoustics.
Week 4 — Innovation, Regional Priority, Practice Exams. Innovation rewards going beyond LEED or addressing unaddressed issues. Regional Priority offers bonus points for geographically significant credits. Spend most of this week on practice tests — two full-length, timed, under exam conditions. Review every wrong answer.
Three Things That Trip People Up
Memorizing numbers instead of intent. The exam doesn't ask you to recite specific point values. It asks why each credit category exists and how credits interact. Study the purpose and strategies, not the spreadsheet.
Skipping the process questions. A real chunk of the exam tests the certification process: roles, timelines, documentation, appeals. It's the easiest content on the exam, and candidates who skip it because it's "administrative" lose straightforward points.
Overinvesting in one category. The exam samples broadly. Three weeks on Energy at the expense of Location and Transportation costs you more points than it earns. Distribute proportionally.
GA vs. AP: Do You Need to Upgrade?
The GA demonstrates green building literacy. The LEED AP (with specialty) demonstrates expertise in a specific rating system. If you manage LEED projects directly, you'll eventually want the AP. If you want to show green building knowledge as part of a broader professional profile — as an architect, engineer, contractor, or developer — the GA is sufficient and often preferred for its breadth.
Good news if you start with the GA: the foundational knowledge carries directly into Part 1 of the AP exam, so nothing is wasted.
Try PassExams LEED GA prep free — practice questions across all credit categories with explanations tied to credit intent.