There are two types of LEED accreditation for professionals: the LEED Green Associate, the foundational credential with no prerequisites, and the LEED AP with specialty, an advanced credential available in five specialties. Both are administered by GBCI and both run on a two-year renewal cycle.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is simply known as LEED. It is a green building certification system created by the United States Green Building Council that provides third-party verification of building sustainability. The US Green Building Council offers LEED Accreditation for a wide range of building types. These include commercial, institutional and residential buildings.
USGBC was founded in April 1993 and piloted LEED v1.0 in 1998; the current rating system is LEED v5, launched on 28 April 2025. In terms of environmental impact reduction, resource conservation, human health, carbon reduction, and climate change, LEED is a standard – a system agreed upon by all.
LEED Certification Vs LEED Accreditation
LEED certification can sometimes apply to both professional and building certifications while people receive official LEED accreditation (also known as “LEED credentials”), and buildings become LEED certified. If you are looking for the building side — Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum and the points each requires — that is covered in what are the LEED certification levels. This article is about the credentials individuals hold.
What are the types of LEED Accreditation?
There are two types of LEED Accreditation offered to professionals and they are as follows;
1. LEED Green Associates (LEED GA):
The LEED Green Associate (LEED GA) is an internationally recognized credential that provides professionals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to apply sustainable design principles to their work. This certification can help you advance your career in the green building industry by providing you with a credential that demonstrates knowledge and expertise, certifying your knowledge of the principles of green building, and providing you with the tools to design sustainable projects.
LEED GA Requirements: LEED Green Associate is not subject to any prerequisites or eligibility requirements; however, USGBC does recommend studying LEED and green building concepts through education or volunteering. Candidates under 18 may sit the exam with a completed GBCI parental consent form.
LEED GA Exam: 100 multiple-choice questions in a 2-hour appointment, with a passing scaled score of 170. It can be taken at a Prometric test centre or remotely with online proctoring. The full specification is in the LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook.
LEED GA Credential Validity: LEED GA credentials are maintained every two years with continuous education.
LEED GA Renewal: You can renew your LEED GA credential by earning 15 Continuous Education. The 15 Continuous Education has been divided into two categories that are general hours and LEED-specific hours. You must acquire 3 LEED-specific hours and 12 general hours. Now, this can be obtained through education, Authorship, volunteering, and project participation.
2. LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP):
LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) is an advanced certification that demonstrates extensive knowledge of green building practices, in other words a LEED AP credential denotes those who have advanced knowledge in green building practice as well as expertise in a specific LEED rating system.
LEED AP Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old and have a current LEED Green Associate credential. Working on LEED-registered projects is highly recommended. The LEED Green Associate prerequisite is waived if you register for the combined LEED GA and LEED AP exam.
LEED AP Exam: 100 multiple-choice questions in a 2-hour appointment, with a passing scaled score of 170. The combined LEED GA and LEED AP exam is taken at a test centre in a single longer appointment covering both parts. Format details are in the LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook.
LEED AP Credential Validity: LEED AP credentials are maintained every two years with continuous education.
LEED AP Renewal: You can renew your LEED AP credential by earning 30 Continuous Education. The 30 Continuous Education has been divided into two categories that are general hours and LEED-specific hours. You must acquire 6 LEED-specific hours and 24 general hours. Now, this can be obtained through education, Authorship, volunteering, and project participation.
What the exams cost
Exam fees are set by USGBC, differ between the LEED Green Associate, LEED AP and combined exams, and are reduced for USGBC members. They change from time to time, so always check the current fee on the USGBC website before you register.
Types of LEED AP with specialty:
There are five different LEED AP with specialties that you can choose from depending on what your profession is. They are listed below
- LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C)
- LEED AP Operations + Maintenance (LEED AP O+M)
- LEED AP Interior Design + Construction (LEED AP ID+C)
- LEED AP Neighborhood Development (LEED AP ND)
- LEED AP Homes
3FOLD TRAINING delivers exam preparation for the BD+C specialty, which is the most widely held of the five and the most relevant to design and construction professionals.
Which specialties are based on LEED v5?
This matters when choosing a specialty. The LEED Green Associate exam is based on LEED v5. Among the AP specialties, BD+C, O+M and ID+C are transitioning to LEED v5, while LEED AP Homes and LEED AP ND continue to be based on LEED v4. Available exam formats can change during a transition, so confirm the current position in the USGBC LEED Candidate Handbooks before registering, and see our LEED v5 guide.
Renewal and the grace period
Renewal fees apply and depend on whether you renew early, on time or late; USGBC publishes the current amounts. There is a grace period after your renewal date during which the credential can still be renewed, but once it expires it must be re-earned by re-taking the exam. If you hold more than one LEED AP specialty, renewal is charged once rather than per credential.
What happens if you fail?
There is no limit on attempts, but after three unsuccessful attempts within a twelve-month period you must wait 90 calendar days before registering again, and the exam fee applies to every attempt.
Where can you find LEED Accreditation training?
If you want to be a part of the best LEED accreditation training institute, we are the place to be. 3FOLD TRAINING can assist you in achieving your career objectives wherever you are in the world in a timely manner. We can assure you that pursuing this course will undoubtedly set you apart from others and help you lead a fantastic career by positioning yourself in the world’s top companies. The training is delivered through the zoom platform. Anybody who wants to pursue a career in green building projects and showcase their knowledge can attend from anywhere in the world.
See our LEED GA and AP BD+C combo course, or take the credentials individually with LEED Green Associate training or LEED AP BD+C training. All course materials are written to LEED v5. New to LEED entirely? Start with what is LEED.
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