Everblue specializes in providing intense short-course LEED exam prep training for architects, engineers, and others in the construction industry. Our mission is provide you with all the knowledge you’ll need to get through the LEED exam registration process and earn your LEED credential. In doing so, we offer live and online courses, complete with practice questions and simulated exams.

We also take pride in our ability to offer contextual guidance on what candidates need to do, both in and out of the classroom. With a saturated market and outdated/incorrect information on the web, folks can become overwhelmed and give up before they even begin. We don’t want misinformation to be a deciding factor for anyone considering a LEED credential, so we make an effort to present the most up-to-date, factual information we have about the LEED credentialing process and LEED exam to help candidates better understand what they’re getting themselves into.

So today we’re setting the record straight on how to register for the LEED exam. We see this question a lot in live chat, and we understand that it can seem a little daunting. Here’s the inside scoop.

Does your training include LEED exam registration?

No, the USGBC has partnered with Prometric, a third-party test-proctoring company, to administer all LEED exams. Prometric has test centers in nearly every major city in the world. You can find your closest testing center by visiting www.prometric.com/gbci and clicking the Locate a Test Center button in the center of the page. You’ll then need to follow the prompts for choosing your country and the LEED credential that you’d be pursuing. There will be one final step to indicate your zip code or city, and then the results will show your closest testing centers.

After the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Prometric also opened the option for LEED Online Exam Proctoring – in other words, the ability to test from home via live online proctoring.

How do I register for the LEED exam?

The LEED exam registration process begins with first paying for your LEED exam. This is done on the USGBC’s website here: www.usgbc.org/credentials. The process of paying for your LEED exam is ultimately what’s known as registering, or applying, for the LEED exam. A successful payment initiates your application period.

What is the application period?

Your registration, or application, is valid for one year. After this year expires, you must wait 90 days before registering for the LEED exam again. You may also request an extension of the one-year registration period for extenuating circumstances.

How do you register your LEED exam appointment?

After you’ve paid the USGBC for your exam, you will receive an email confirming your payment. This email will contain an Eligibility ID number. When it comes to actually setting an exam appointment, you will again visit www.prometric.com/gbci and now click on the Schedule My Test button. You will follow the prompts. During that process, you will be asked to provide the Eligibility ID. This is Prometric’s way of confirming that you paid for your exam. Prometric will ultimately then show you a calendar with available appointment slots, and you can choose the one that works best for you and your schedule!

How many attempts do you get at the LEED exam?

Candidates are given three chances per exam per year. For the LEED AP credential, you are allowed three attempts per section during your one-year application period. Both sections are delivered back-to-back unless you previously passed one of the sections during the current application period. In this case, you will only be tested on the section you have not passed. Once you have passed a section of a LEED AP exam, that section will no longer be available to you during your application period. Candidates must pass both sections of a LEED AP exam to earn the credential. More on this (Full Exam) in a moment.

How much does the LEED exam cost?

The prices vary depending on which credential you are pursuing.

LEED Exam Cost for Green Associate

• USGBC Members and Full-Time Students: $200
• Non-Members (the majority of candidates): $250

LEED Exam Cost for AP

• USGBC Members and Full-Time Students: $250
• Non-Members: $350

Under the LEED AP section, you will also see an option for Full Exam. Let’s explain this for a moment.

• Full Exam: LEED Green Associate Exam (2 hours) + LEED AP Specialty Exam (2 hours)
• Specialty Only Exam: LEED AP Specialty Exam (2 hours) – for those who have already passed the LEED Green Associate exam

As you can see, the full exam provides a fast-track to the LEED AP level. The specialty-only exam directly correlates with the advanced LEED AP designation that you’re pursuing and assumes that you have already passed the LEED Green Associate exam. Yes, all candidates must first pass the LEED Green Associate exam before attempting the LEED AP Specialty exam.

Pros & cons of taking the Full Exam (combined GA/AP exam)

Many people are intrigued by this option, but there are some things you should know.

Pros

• Saves you $50 on your exam registration ($550 instead of $600 for Green Associate and AP separately)
• Jumps you up to the advanced LEED AP level in one quick step

Cons

• You must pass both parts (LEED Green Associate & LEED AP) – fail any part and you walk away with NO credential, wasted time, and wasted money
• 4-hour test can be overwhelming and exhausting (no breaks)

More about the Combined GA/AP Exam (Full Exam)

You must pass both parts of the exam to earn your LEED credential.

If you pass one part of the LEED AP exam, you will have to retake only the part you failed. You are still subject to the restriction of three attempts per application period. If it is your first attempt, you will have two additional attempts within the application period to take and pass the part you failed.

If you pass only the first part of the LEED AP exam, you are not a LEED Green Associate. This is because you applied to be a LEED AP.

If you pass the first part of the combined exam and decide you’d like to be a LEED Green Associate, you must contact USGBC customer service with the request. Please note that you will be subject to the $50 Green Associate application fee and will have to agree to the LEED Green Associate Terms and Conditions and CMP requirements. (And now you’ve paid that $50 that you had initially “saved” when you chose the Full Exam option.)

Are there any breaks?

You may get up and leave your seat (with permission from the test center staff), but the timer will not stop, so the time elapsed will be reflected in the time remaining from the exam. This is true for the LEED Green Associate, LEED AP, and Full Exam options.

How to cancel or reschedule your LEED exam

You can confirm, cancel, or reschedule an exam on the Prometric website. You may reschedule or cancel your exam up to 30 days before the exam without a fee. If you reschedule or cancel an exam fewer than 30 days but more than 3 days before the scheduled date, you will be charged a $50 fee. You cannot reschedule your exam after midnight on the third day before the scheduled appointment. (Wednesday appointments cannot be rescheduled after Sunday at 11:59 p.m. EST) When you reschedule an exam, you will receive a new email confirmation. If you do not, please contact Prometric immediately to confirm that your exam was rescheduled.

If you have any other questions about the LEED exam registration process, let us know! Call us at (800) 460-2575.