Architecture
The Best Free LEED Resources Online
1) USGBC
Seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at how much valuable free content is buried within the convoluted subpages of the USGBC website.
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=220 contains links to past and present versions of the LEED Rating System, which is basically a condensed 100 page version of the 400+ page LEED Reference Guide. The LEED Rating System concisely outlines the intent, requirements and potential strategies related to each credit. However, it does not include the detailed calculations, referenced standards and submittal documentation information provided in the LEED Reference Guide.
Here is some more free content you need to know for the LEED exam from USGBC:
Candidate Handbook
Test Specifications & Sample Questions
LEED-Online Sample Credit Templates
PowerPoint Presentations
Credit Checklist
Registration Process
Registration Fees
Certification Process
CIR Guidelines
Guidance on ID Credits
2) In The LEED
InTheLeed.com is an invaluable site created and maintained by an architect who went through the process of studying and passing the LEED exam himself. The site is packed with free tips and advice from both the creator and users of the site. The active discussion forums are a huge help as well as give you the opportunity to be a part of a supportive community of other test takers. I honestly don’t think I would have passed the exam on the first try without the tips on this site.
Here is some of the content that I found the most useful:
WIMSEE chart
A Typical LEED Exam Question: A Closer Look
LEED AP Exemplary Performance / ID Credit Breakdown
Post-Test Evaluation & Brain Dump
3) University of Florida “Learning to LEED - Test Taking Resource”
This site contains essential summarized content, quizzes and test-taking tips.
Referenced Standards Spreadsheet
Exemplary Performance Spreadsheet
LEED Acronyms
Flashcards
Quizzes
Mini Quizzes
Test-Taking Tips
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Free is one of my favorite words.
All of these websites also have paid content also. I know intheleed has Ebooks. If your company is not sponsoring you to become a LEED AP, yes, the money you spend on study materials can quickly add up. I pretty much just spent money on a two day course that included lots of study material..A class/prep course is really the only thing I think is worth investing in if you do decide to buy since most of them include invaluable study guides, one-on-one help, online courses, and practice exams. Clean Edison, Everblue Energy,Green-buildings.com..There are so many options.. I used Clean Edison.
These resources are great. It will help me prepare as my exam is in a couple of weeks. I did not take a course like CleanEdison because I did not feel it worth spending $800 on listening to material that I could get from the reference guide and intheleed for FREE.
Instead I have been taking any sample test I can lay my hands on to challenge my memory. A few of the tests can be found at:
1. Buildinggreen (http://www.buildinggreen.com)
2. Leedexcel (http://www.leedexcel.com) - both free and paid tests.
3. Colorado tests
4. GEP - paid only
Thanks for the info on where to get more sample tests Matt!
I totally agree with you that scouring the reference guide and doing as many sample tests as possible is the most efficient way to pass the LEED exam. But of course if your firm is willing to pay for courses, it doesn’t hurt to take them.
My old firm was large enough to have instructors come in to give group seminars on LEED. Although these seminars were helpful, it was the sample tests that really helped me pass the exam, on the first try with a 181.
OMG, Clean Edison was awful! I guess the instructors tried their best, but they really weren’t quality teachers. They just couldn’t get me to understand the different credits. You can only tell someone something so many times. It takes a quality instructor to really help you learn and understand…didn’t get it there.