I took my LEED Green Associate exam early last week. This was my first time taking an exam at a Prometric Testing Center, and I didn’t know what to expect from my LEED exam appointment. I was very impressed by the level of professionalism and security that I experienced. I just wanted to share a few of my observations…

1 – Arrive Early. I had been told several times by friends and colleagues to arrive 30 minutes early. I was told that, in some cases, you would be allowed to start your appointment time early if there were openings in the computer lab. I was pretty surprised when I received a phone call about 2 hours before my appointment inviting me to take the LEED exam earlier in the day.

2 – Locker Space. I was asked to choose a locker from the ones available and place all my belongings inside. The locker was fairly small. It probably would not fit a large purse or puffy winter coat. I was asked to take the locker key with me; it was attached to a round, colored piece of paper denoting the number of the locker.

3 – Rules. At the front desk, I was asked to read a full-page document full of rules and expectations. This document explained information about bathroom breaks and overall test-taking ethics. The receptionist asked for my ID and indicated that I would need to keep my ID and locker key together and face up on the desk.

4 – Security. From here, I was taken to another room just outside where the test-takers were concentrating. I was asked to lift my pant legs to ankle-level, roll up my sleeves, and feel within my pockets — all to show that I had no additional items that would enable me to cheat. The administrator also scanned my front and back with metal detecting equipment.

5 – Signing In. The administrator asked me to sign in prior to the exam.

6 – Laminated Note Boards. I was given two markers and two laminated sheets of paper for note-taking during the exam. The administrator explained that I could not erase the writing on the paper as if it were a dry erase board. If I needed additional sheets of paper, I could raise my hand, and she would provide more. What I liked about the laminated paper was that it was formatted like graphing paper. This helped me keep my notes in a somewhat organized fashion (at first) – to be honest, I abandoned writing in pretty lines about midway through the exam. I found myself using the front of both sheets entirely and in some cases drawing lines to connected thoughts. But that’s just me.

7 – Computer Lab.The administrator walked me into the computer lab where others were already in the middle of their exams. She led me to the desktop computer where the GBCI welcome screen was already visible.

8 – Headset. There was a big pair of headsets available at the desk. I had planned on wearing them during the exam, but I had trouble fitting the headset nicely to my head. I didn’t want to deal with it, and I figured the room would be quiet enough.

9 – 10–Minute Introduction. The first thing I noticed on the computer was a timer in the top right corner. The first few screens simply confirmed my name and the test I was taking. Then I was introduced to the testing screen interface, where it was explained how to move forward and backward and how to mark questions. This was a helpful introduction.

10 – Signing Out.When I was done with my exam, I met again with the administrator and was asked to sign out. She had printed my scores and notarized the results.

Throughout the LEED exam appointment experience, I was supremely satisfied and impressed by the professionalism shown at my local Prometric Testing Center. No wonder the Green Building Certification Institute chose to administer its LEED Accreditation exams in conjunction with these facilities. Utilizing Prometric seems like the best way to standardize the delivery of the exam around the world. This discipline supports and contributes to the fact that earning a LEED credential is a highly respectable achievement. It was all around a satisfying experience, and I’m actually looking forward to taking my next LEED exam!

To learn more, please visit our LEED Exam page.