The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) was established in 1993 by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried, and Rick Fedrizzi. It is a private organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation.
USGBC’s main goal is to promote awareness of green buildings and the importance of sustainable sites. In 1993, the formation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) began and the first version LEED 1.0, was introduced in 1998.
The version was tested on 19 projects which all had positive outcomes. Thereafter, USGBC launched LEED for new construction in 2000. The current version is LEED v5, launched on 28 April 2025, with project certification open since 3 November 2025. It is the most significant revision of LEED in more than a decade: about half of all available points now sit under decarbonisation, with the remainder split between quality of life and ecological conservation and restoration, and carbon and climate-risk assessments are mandatory on every project. LEED v4 and v4.1 remain available for new registrations until 1 July 2027, and all remaining v4 and v4.1 projects must complete certification by 30 June 2033.
Some of the most LEED-Certified projects are:
- Willis Tower, Chicago (LEED Gold)
- TAIPEI 101, Taipei, Taiwan (LEED Platinum)
- The Empire State Building, New York City (LEED Gold)
- Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China (LEED Platinum)
- The Crystal, London (LEED Platinum)
- Infosys campuses, across India (multiple LEED Platinum certifications)
Are you a LEED professional, or do you want to become one? Do you live in India and environs? Find LEED GA Training in India.
How big is LEED in India?
India is one of the two largest markets for LEED-certified space anywhere outside the United States, with hundreds of certified projects and a large certified floor area across commercial, IT campus, manufacturing and institutional buildings. That scale is why LEED credentials carry real weight with Indian employers — developers, engineering consultancies, IT majors and multinational occupiers all specify them. Current country figures are published on the USGBC website.
How does LEED relate to IGBC and GRIHA?
India has its own domestic rating systems alongside LEED, and candidates often ask how they fit together. IGBC, the Indian Green Building Council, operates under the Confederation of Indian Industry and runs its own rating systems. GRIHA, developed by TERI, is generally recognised as India’s national rating system. Both are separate from LEED.
There is one historical point worth clearing up: IGBC once administered a licensed “LEED India” programme, but GBCI took over direct management of LEED certification in India in June 2014, with the legacy LEED India projects phased out by 2018. Today LEED operates in India directly through USGBC and GBCI, independent of IGBC. So a LEED credential earned in India is the same internationally recognised credential earned anywhere else — which is exactly what makes it portable.
LEED Training in India:
The LEED certification consists of two levels which are LEED GA and LEED AP.
1. LEED Green Associate (LEED GA):
It is a foundation course for a beginner who wants to understand the LEED rating system’s basic framework and concepts. The LEED GA exam measures your knowledge of green building practices. The exam runs for two hours and it can be taken from home or a Prometric testing center.
The exam pattern is 100 multiple choice questions and you must earn a scaled score of 170 or higher. The foundational LEED GA credential is the first to achieve before proceeding to earn the advanced credential, LEED AP. There are no prerequisites — anyone can register. The exam is now based on LEED v5 and its full specification is published in the LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook. Our detailed guide to the credential is in what is LEED Green Associate.
2. LEED Accredited Professional Specialty (LEED AP BD+C):
The LEED AP Specialty is an advanced credential that denotes a higher knowledge of green building and the LEED rating system. After the completion of the LEED GA Exam, you can pursue the LEED AP. Please note that the LEED AP exam cannot be taken without first passing the LEED GA exam. The one exception is the combined LEED GA and LEED AP exam, where the prerequisite is waived because you sit both parts in a single appointment.
If you are involved in a LEED project or will be, it is very important that you complete the LEED AP exam. The LEED AP exam is two hours long and it can be taken from home or a Prometric testing center. The exam pattern is 100 multiple choice questions and you must earn a scaled score of 170 or higher.
LEED AP has multiple specialties available. You can choose the category that suits your designation, such as:
- LEED AP Building Design + Construction (BD+C)
- LEED AP Operations + Maintenance (O+M)
- LEED AP Interior Design + Construction (ID+C)
- LEED AP Homes
- LEED AP Neighborhood Development (ND)
Of these, 3FOLD TRAINING delivers exam preparation for the BD+C specialty, which is the most widely held and the most relevant to design and construction professionals. See our LEED AP BD+C training, or take both credentials together on the LEED GA and AP BD+C combo course.
What do the LEED exams cost?
Exam fees are set by USGBC and paid directly to them, separately from any training fee. They differ by credential and by whether you hold USGBC membership, and there is a reduced student rate for the Green Associate exam. Because they are reviewed from time to time, always check the current fee on the USGBC website before you register.
As soon as you enroll in our LEED GA and AP online training, you will receive the following:
- One Year Access to our Learning Management System – LMS access has separate folders for LEED GA and LEED AP with lots of useful information. Also, it consists of video lessons (recorded sessions), practice quizzes, exam simulations, and course material
- Zoom Registration Link for the entire Live LEED GA and AP Online Training. Study Materials (it consists of delegate manuals for both GA and AP), written to the LEED v5 rating system. We use the zoom platform to conduct our online training.
Note: The LMS access is valid for one year from the time of registration.
After your training as our LEED GA and AP student, you will receive the following:
- A Certificate of Attendance.
- Complete guidance for your LEED Exam Application Process.
Keeping your credential after you pass
A LEED credential runs on a two-year cycle. LEED Green Associates report 15 continuing education hours per cycle, three of which must be LEED-specific. LEED APs report 30 hours, six of which must be LEED-specific in their specialty. Renewal fees apply and are published by USGBC.
Why 3FOLD?
3FOLD TRAINING is a professional certification preparation institute operating since 2008, with support teams in Dubai and Chennai and more than 30,000 professionals trained across over 100 countries. We deliver LEED Green Associate training to candidates across India in 100% live virtual interactive sessions, with a self-paced route for anyone who cannot join the live classes. Current dates are on the course page.
New to LEED altogether? Start with what is LEED, then read how to become a LEED Professional.
Contact us through the Course Enquiry Form, Email, or WhatsApp.
7 Comments
Leave your reply.