Free LEED AP BD+C Practice Test (LEED v5)

Answer: D. Include the lot, because it's contiguous land that supports the building's normal operations.

The reasonable-boundary requirement (MPR 2) says the LEED boundary must include all contiguous land that's associated with the project and supports its typical operations, and it names parking as an example. The boundary also can't unreasonably exclude part of the site to gain a compliance advantage, which is exactly what this team is trying to do. A mixes up the site boundary with floor area. C is the rule for describing non-certifying space accurately, not a way to drop operational land. B picks parking by equipment instead of by its relationship to the building. USGBC says the v5 Minimum Program Requirements are the same as v4's.

Source: USGBC Minimum Program Requirements — reasonable LEED boundaries · USGBC LEED v5 FAQ — Minimum Program Requirements

Answer: D. BD+C: Core and Shell, because at least 40% of the floor area is incomplete.

USGBC's v5 selection guidance describes Core and Shell for buildings with at least 40% of the gross floor area incomplete. New Construction requires at least 60% complete. At 65% incomplete, this project doesn't meet the New Construction completion threshold. A ignores the incomplete-space test. ID+C covers interior fit-outs, not the whole new building. O+M is for operating existing buildings, not a building just being designed and built.

Source: USGBC rating-system selection guidance — LEED v5 and the 40/60 rule

Answer: A. The whole project certifies under that one rating system.

When one rating system fits more than 60% of the gross floor area, the entire project registers under that one system. LEED doesn't let a single project split its floor area across two rating systems (B and D), and the choice isn't made by comparing which scorecard yields more points (C).

Source: USGBC rating-system selection guidance — LEED v5 and the 40/60 rule

Answer: C. Residential projects of three floors or fewer should use LEED v4 or v4.1 as applicable; v5 BD+C is an option for multifamily buildings with at least four above-grade floors.

USGBC says a multifamily residential building with at least four above-grade floors can choose LEED v5 BD+C, while other residential projects with three floors or less should use LEED v4 or v4.1 as applicable. So the three-story building is pointed to the earlier versions. A ignores the height condition. B and D borrow the Core and Shell incomplete-space rule, which has nothing to do with residential eligibility.

Source: USGBC LEED v5 FAQ — residential project eligibility

Answer: C. EAc3 needs 8 points for a New Construction Platinum project.

In LEED v5, points alone don't earn Platinum. Several credits carry Platinum requirements. For New Construction, EAc3 Enhanced Energy Efficiency requires 8 points, so 6 falls short. The other conditions are met: EAc1 requires 5 points (its maximum for NC), EAc4 requires 100% renewables, and MRc2 requires a 20% embodied carbon reduction. Core and Shell has different values (for example, 5 points in EAc3), so always check which rating system a question names.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — Platinum requirements, p. 174

Answer: D. Projects can earn up to 9 points from a mix of regional priority, project-type, exemplary performance, pilot credits, and innovative strategies.

PRc1 lets a project combine regional priority credits, project-type credits, exemplary performance, pilot credits, and innovative strategies for up to 9 points. USGBC says project-type priority credits aren't required (A); a team that wants to use one listed for a different project type has to submit a special circumstances narrative or a credit interpretation ruling. C and B invent limits that aren't in the credit.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — PRc1 Project Priorities, pp. 171–172

Answer: D. A principal participant who holds the LEED AP BD+C credential.

PRc2 requires at least one principal participant of the project team to be a LEED AP with a specialty appropriate for the project. LEED AP BD+C fits a BD+C project. A Green Associate isn't a LEED AP (A). An O+M specialty isn't the appropriate specialty for a design and construction project (C). An observer isn't a principal participant (B).

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — PRc2 LEED AP, p. 173

Answer: A. Projected climate and natural hazards over the building's service life, under a stated emissions scenario.

IPp1 asks teams to assess current and projected hazards, and for each hazard to specify the IPCC emissions scenario and the projected service life. Historical records are useful, but they can't stand in for the forward-looking part. A refrigerant inventory (B) belongs to EAp5, transportation habits (C) relate to LTc4, and an energy model (D) relates to EA prerequisites. None of them describes future hazards.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPp1, pp. 6–7

Answer: D. At least two priority hazards, with the strategies considered to address them.

IPp1 requires the team to identify at least two priority hazards to address through design and describe the strategies considered. It doesn't demand that every hazard be eliminated (A), it doesn't stop at one (C), and insurance isn't a design strategy (B).

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPp1, p. 7

Answer: C. Human Impact Assessment

IPp2 Human Impact Assessment covers demographics, local infrastructure and land use, human use and health impacts, and occupant experience, then uses the findings to shape planning, design, and operations. The Carbon Assessment (A) projects emissions. The Climate Resilience Assessment (B) looks at physical hazards. Commissioning (D) verifies building systems.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPp2, pp. 8–9

Answer: D. Refrigerant information from EAp5 Fundamental Refrigerant Management.

IPp3 builds a 25-year projection from operations (EAp1), refrigerants (EAp5), and embodied carbon (MRp2). Transportation data from LTc4 is an optional input, so it can't replace a required one (A). Water data (B) and daylight modeling (C) aren't inputs to this assessment.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPp3, p. 10

Answer: B. 25 years

IPp3 says USGBC provides a 25-year projection of the project's emissions from operations, refrigerants, and embodied carbon. The full service life (D) is what IPp1 uses for climate hazards, which makes it a tempting mix-up.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPp3, p. 10

Answer: A. The charrette came too late (it belongs in predesign or early design), and it needed participants representing at least four key perspectives.

IPc1 calls for a charrette in predesign or early design with the owner and at least four key perspectives, such as architect, contractor, energy modeler, and a community engagement representative. Construction documents is too late, and an architect and an MEP engineer are only two perspectives. GBCI facilitation isn't required (B), and the credit doesn't limit attendance to tenants (C).

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPc1, p. 12

Answer: D. The owner's project requirements (OPR)

IPc1 asks for goals in all three impact areas, written into the OPR. The OPR is the owner's statement of what the project must achieve. The BOD (A) is the designers' response to it. Tenant guidelines (C) are a Core and Shell prerequisite. The final Cx report (B) comes far too late to guide design.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPc1, p. 12

Answer: A. Before tenants sign their leases

IPp4 Tenant Guidelines must be shared with all tenants before they sign the lease. That timing lets tenants plan fit-outs that support the base building's sustainability goals. They describe the base building's features and goals, give recommendations for tenant spaces, and name a point of contact. Every other option arrives after the tenant has already committed.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — IPp4 (Core and Shell), p. 11

Answer: D. A footprint located entirely on previously developed land

Option 1 awards the point for locating the development footprint on previously developed land. Prime farmland (A) is sensitive land. A footprint that's half undeveloped (C) isn't entirely on previously developed land. An undeveloped site (B) could only qualify through Option 2, and only if it avoids every sensitive land type, not just the floodplain.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc1, pp. 16–17

Answer: C. No. This building footprint is within the protected 50-foot (15-meter) wetland buffer.

Option 2 treats land on or within 50 feet (15 meters) of a wetland as sensitive land, so a footprint 40 feet away doesn't qualify. The 100-foot (30-meter) distance in D is the buffer for water bodies, not wetlands. A reverses the two, and B ignores every sensitive land type except floodplains. The credit permits certain minor improvements within the buffer; a new building footprint isn't one of them.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc1, p. 17

Answer: C. 2 points

Option 1 awards 1 point for a combined density of 22,000 sq ft per acre (5,050 m² per hectare) and 2 points for 35,000 sq ft per acre (8,035 m² per hectare). At 36,500, the site clears the higher threshold. Option 1 tops out at 2 points, so 3 isn't possible from density alone.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc3 Option 1, p. 23

Answer: C. No. Bus stops must be within 0.25 mile walking distance.

LTc3 measures walking distance from a functional entry. Bus, streetcar, and informal transit stops count within 0.25 mile (400 meters) of walking distance, so a 0.35-mile walk is too far. The 0.5-mile limit (B) applies to bus rapid transit, rail, and commuter ferries. Buses do count (D), but only within their own distance limit.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc3 Option 2, pp. 23–24

Answer: A. 80 weekday and 40 weekend trips: 1 point

LTc3 counts trips in one direction only, and only from one stop per route. That leaves 80 weekday and 40 weekend trips, which meets 72/30 but not 132/78, so it earns 1 point. B counts both directions. C counts both directions at both stops. D is wrong because multiple stops are allowed; they just aren't added together.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc3 Option 2, pp. 23–24

Answer: C. 2 points for a 60% reduction

Going from 200 to 80 spaces is a 60% reduction: (200 − 80) ÷ 200 = 60%. Path 1 awards 1 point at 30%, 2 points at 60%, and 3 points only at 100% (no parking at all). So the project earns 2 points. D gets the percentage right but the points wrong.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc4 Option 1, p. 29

Answer: A. 15 spaces within 300 feet (90 meters) walking distance of a functional entry

For commercial projects, long-term storage must serve at least 5% of regular occupants (and no fewer than four spaces), within 300 feet (90 meters) walking distance of any functional entry. 5% of 300 is 15. These spaces are in addition to short-term storage. The 600-foot distance (B) is the short-term storage rule, measured to a main entrance. C undercounts. D uses the four-space floor, which only applies when 5% would come to fewer than four.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc4 Option 2, pp. 30–31

Answer: C. 8

For commercial projects, Option 1 awards 2 points for EV charging at 10% of spaces or at least 4 spaces. 10% of 80 is 8, which is more than the 4-space floor, so 8 spaces are needed. 4 (A) is the floor, not the answer for a lot this size. 5 (B) and 16 (D) don't match the commercial table. The residential column uses higher percentages.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — LTc5, pp. 33–34

Answer: D. Conserving 100% of special-status vegetation, so the design has to work around the tree.

SSp1's site assessment requires conserving 100% of special-status vegetation. It's a prerequisite, so replacement planting (A) can't substitute. Invasive species mapping (C) is a separate part of the same assessment, and an erosion plan (B) doesn't make removal acceptable.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSp1, pp. 35–36

Answer: D. At least every 7 calendar days, or every 14 days plus within 24 hours of a storm of 0.25 inch (6 mm) or more

Under this SSp1 compliance route, the plan follows the EPA 2022 Construction General Permit regardless of project size, with inspections at least every 7 calendar days, or every 14 calendar days plus within 24 hours of a storm producing at least 0.25 inch in 24 hours. Monthly checks (A) and big-storm-only checks (C) are too infrequent. B is wrong because the prerequisite applies regardless of project size.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSp1, p. 36

Answer: A. 0.72 acre of outdoor space, with at least 0.18 acre vegetated or under vegetative canopy

SSc2 requires outdoor space of at least 30% of the total site area, including the footprint: 2.4 × 0.30 = 0.72 acre. At least 25% of that space must have two or more vegetation types or an overhead vegetative canopy: 0.72 × 0.25 = 0.18 acre. B uses 25% of the site instead of 30%. C overstates the vegetation share. D drops the vegetation requirement. The credit also needs one urban element and one community element, which this question doesn't test.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc2, pp. 40–41

Answer: C. 3 points

For non-zero-lot-line projects, Option 1 awards 1 point for the 80th percentile, 2 for the 85th, and 3 for the 90th. Reusing part of the retained volume for uses like flush fixtures adds 1 point. So 2 + 1 = 3. The credit maxes out at 3 points, so 4 isn't possible.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc3, pp. 42–43

Answer: D. Bioretention (a rain garden)

EPA describes bioretention cells (rain gardens) as shallow vegetated depressions that collect and absorb runoff, letting it pond and then infiltrate where soils allow. A vault (A) stores water out of sight without the planted, infiltrating function. A pipe (C) and impervious paving (B) send runoff away instead of managing it on site. Using bioretention doesn't by itself guarantee SSc3 points; the credit is based on the volume retained.

Source: EPA — Types of Green Infrastructure: rain gardens · USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc3 Rainwater Management, pp. 42–43

Answer: C. 64

Use the three-year aged SRI when available: at least 64 for low-slope roofs or 32 for steep-slope roofs. Only when aged data is unavailable may the initial SRI be used: at least 82 for low-slope roofs or 39 for steep-slope roofs. The other options are real numbers from the same table, applied to the wrong roof slope or the wrong test.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc5, pp. 48–49

Answer: B. 5,000 sq ft

The right side is 20,000 + 30,000 = 50,000. The roof contributes 30,000 ÷ 0.75 = 40,000, leaving 10,000. Nonroof area is divided by 0.5, so you need 10,000 × 0.5 = 5,000 sq ft. C forgets to multiply by 0.5. A assumes the roof alone is enough. D treats every square foot of paving as needing treatment.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc5, pp. 48–49

Answer: C. No. 100% of spaces must be under qualifying cover.

Option 2 requires 100% of parking spaces to be under cover. The roof itself qualifies, since an aged SRI of 40 beats 32 (B is true about the material). But 30 uncovered spaces mean the option isn't met. A treats 80% as enough. D is too narrow, because a vegetated cover, a high-SRI cover, or one with energy generation can all qualify.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc5, pp. 49–50

Answer: C. Roadway lighting required by a government authority

SSc6 exempts several types of lighting when they're separately controlled, including government-mandated roadway lighting, transportation signals, theatrical lighting, and national flag lighting in LZ2 to LZ4. Parking (A) and pathway lighting (B) are ordinary site lighting that must comply. Façade lighting is exempt only in LZ3 and LZ4, and only if it turns off automatically from midnight to 6 a.m., so D fails on both counts.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — SSc6, p. 53

Answer: D. At least annually for 5 years, or until ownership or lessee changes

WEp1 requires permanent meters for total potable and alternative water, with data shared with USGBC at least annually for 5 years or until the building changes ownership or lessee. It's a prerequisite, so it applies whether or not the team pursues WEc1 (B).

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEp1, p. 54

Answer: C. No. The full flush must be 1.28 gpf or less, and averaging isn't allowed.

WEp2 says a dual-flush toilet's full flush must meet the 1.28 gpf limit, with no averaging, so a 1.6-gpf full flush fails. A uses the averaging the prerequisite rules out. Dual-flush toilets aren't exempt (B) or banned (D); they just have to meet the limit on the full flush.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEp2, pp. 55–57

Answer: A. Fixture water use at least 20% below the prerequisite's baseline

Option 2 requires a 20% reduction from the baseline (for example, toilets 1.6 gpf, urinals 1.0 gpf, showers 2.5 gpm). 30% (B) is where WEc2's fixture option begins earning points. ENERGY STAR (C) applies to certain appliances, not fixtures. D mixes in outdoor water and a credit-level target.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEp2, pp. 55–57

Answer: A. Option 1: no permanent irrigation beyond a 2-year establishment period

Option 1 allows temporary irrigation for up to a 2-year establishment period, and 18 months is inside that window. Option 2 (B) requires a calculation and isn't triggered by simply removing the system. C and D invent stricter limits than the prerequisite sets.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEp2, p. 58

Answer: B. 40% reduction, 3 points

Add the volumes before you calculate the percentage. Baseline = 90,000 + 30,000 = 120,000 gallons. Design = 45,000 + 27,000 = 72,000. Reduction = (120,000 − 72,000) ÷ 120,000 = 40%, which earns 3 points. A averages the two group percentages, which ignores that group 1 uses three times as much water. C only looks at group 1. D gets the percentage right but reads the table wrong.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEc2 Option 2, pp. 62–63

Answer: A. 4 points from Option 1; Option 1 is pursued on its own, so Option 4 can't be added.

WEc2 lets a team pursue Option 1 alone or any combination of Options 2 through 6, for up to 8 points. A 45% reduction earns 4 points (it would be 5 with alternative water). Since the team chose Option 1, it can't stack Option 4 on top (B). C assumes alternative water that isn't there. D overstates the table, which reaches 8 points only at 60% with alternative water or 65% without.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEc2 Option 1, pp. 62–63

Answer: C. The indoor fixture branch

Steady flow on the indoor fixture branch while the building is empty points there first. A running toilet or a leaking supply line could explain that flow. The data doesn't identify the failed part; it tells you which branch to inspect. Irrigation (A) and the kitchen (B) read zero. Nothing suggests the main meter is wrong (D), since the submeter shows the flow. This is the kind of diagnosis WEc1's submetering and leak detection options are meant to support.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEc1, pp. 59–60

Answer: D. Submeter data must be available in real time and recorded at least hourly.

WEc1 Option 1 requires submeters on qualifying subsystems, including commercial kitchens serving at least 100 meals a day, with real-time access and recording at least hourly. Monthly manual reads fall short. A kitchen at 250 meals a day does qualify (A), irrigation is one of the listed subsystems (C), and the indoor fixture coverage is at least 80% (B).

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — WEc1, pp. 59–60

Answer: B. Evaluate captured condensate as an alternative water source, such as for cooling tower makeup, after checking water quality, treatment needs, and local requirements.

DOE's Federal Energy Management Program lists captured condensate among the alternative water sources worth considering to offset freshwater use. Matching it to a nonpotable demand the building already has, like cooling tower makeup, is a sensible place to start. Any reuse still depends on the water's quality, the treatment it needs, and local rules. Condensate isn't automatically safe to drink (A). It doesn't have to be thrown away (C). D skips the proposed nonpotable application and its actual water-quality requirements. WEc2's alternative-water pathways may recognize this strategy when the applicable credit requirements are met.

Source: DOE FEMP — Alternative Water Sources: condensate · USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — Alternative water, pp. 66–68

Answer: A. A 25-year business-as-usual carbon projection, which the owner attests to reviewing

The team submits an annual site energy estimate by fuel. USGBC returns a 25-year business-as-usual carbon projection, and the owner attests to having reviewed it. Projects subject to a carbon building performance standard use the ordinance's coefficients. The other options aren't outputs of EAp1.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp1, pp. 75–77

Answer: D. Path 1: earn 4 or 5 points in EAc1. Since it won't, it uses Path 2: an owner-attested narrative plan of no more than two pages.

EAp1 offers two paths. Path 1 is satisfied by earning 4 or 5 points in EAc1. Otherwise, Path 2 requires a narrative plan of no more than two pages. It covers future retrofits with timeline and cost, equipment replacement, and electrification readiness, and the owner attests to it. Three Electrification points don't qualify for Path 1 (A). C and B aren't requirements of the prerequisite.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp1, pp. 76–77

Answer: D. ASHRAE 90.1-2022

Projects registering before January 1, 2028 can use Option 1 (ASHRAE 90.1-2019 with addendum cr) or Option 2 (90.1-2022). Projects registering after that date must use Option 2, which is 90.1-2022. A March 2028 registration therefore uses 90.1-2022. C was the choice available before 2028. A and B are older standards that v5 doesn't reference.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp2, pp. 78–80

Answer: A. The end of design development

EAp3 requires the CxP to be designated by the end of design development. The CxP must also have experience on at least two projects of similar or larger scope and complexity. Designating later (B, C, D) misses the design reviews the CxP is supposed to take part in, including at least one MEP and one envelope design meeting.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp3, pp. 81–82

Answer: D. Flag the gap and reconcile the basis of design (BOD) and design documents with the OPR before acceptance.

Commissioning checks that what's designed and built meets the owner's documented requirements. When the BOD and design omit an OPR requirement, the reviewer should flag it and get it resolved during design, not after equipment is installed. The OPR isn't advisory (A). Waiting for testing (C) turns a design issue into rework. A manufacturer's label (B) doesn't create a control sequence.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp3, pp. 81–82

Answer: B. The plan must also meter on-site renewable energy generation.

EAp4 requires metering under ASHRAE 90.1, including on-site renewable energy generation. The project also reports 12 consecutive months of data to USGBC annually for 5 years or until ownership or lessee changes. Purchased energy alone (A) isn't the full picture. The requirement is the project's metering, not a utility's (C), and dropping the solar array (D) obviously isn't the fix.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp4, pp. 83–84

Answer: D. An evaluation of lower-GWP alternatives, because the GWP is above 700.

EAp5 requires a refrigerant inventory, no HCFCs in new equipment, leak checks before substantial completion, and an evaluation of alternatives for any refrigerant with a GWP above 700. At 1,400, that evaluation is required, so A is incomplete. C trades one problem for another and isn't a requirement. EAc7 (B) is an optional credit, not a condition of the prerequisite.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAp5, p. 85

Answer: D. 5 points under Option 1

Option 1 awards 5 points for no on-site combustion except emergency support systems, with a combined weighted average COP of at least 1.8 for space and water heating. The emergency generator is explicitly allowed, and 2.4 is above 1.8. Option 2's 4-point maximum (C) is for projects that keep some combustion for low temperatures. A ignores the emergency exception.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc1, pp. 86–87

Answer: A. Outdoor air dry-bulb below 20°F

EAc1 defines low temperatures as outdoor air dry-bulb below 20°F. Option 2 lets space heating and water heating use combustion only below that point. 32°F (B) is a rating condition for some liquid-source equipment, not the definition. C and D aren't how the credit defines the term.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc1, pp. 88–89

Answer: A. The building now operates without on-site combustion.

Readiness work prepares for a future change. It doesn't make today's building combustion-free while the gas boilers are still running. Options B, C, and D accurately describe what readiness does. This distinction matters because Core and Shell Electrification includes a readiness pathway separate from the no-combustion options.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc1 (Core and Shell), pp. 90–91

Answer: B. No. Leakage must be 0.13 cfm/sq ft or less at 50 Pa for new construction of this size.

For new construction with at least 5,000 sq ft of conditioned floor area, the leakage limit is 0.13 cfm/sq ft (0.65 L/s/m²) at 50 Pa. 0.16 fails. Balanced ventilation within 10% is met, since 8% is fine (C demands too much). The 0.20 limit in D applies to major renovations, not new construction.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc2, p. 93

Answer: B. 72% enthalpy recovery, with bypass

Option 2 requires at least 70% enthalpy or 75% sensible recovery efficiency, plus bypass or control of energy recovery during moderate outdoor conditions. B meets the enthalpy threshold and has bypass. A is below 70% enthalpy. C has enough sensible recovery but neither bypass nor another energy-recovery control. D's 70% is sensible, not enthalpy, so it falls short of the 75% sensible threshold.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc2, p. 94

Answer: B. 5

In the excluding-renewables column, 3% = 1 point, 6% = 2, and so on up to 30% = 10. 15% earns 5 points. 8 points (C) would need 24%, which supplies the 8 EAc3 points required for New Construction Platinum on this path. 10 (D) would need 30%.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc3, pp. 101–102

Answer: D. Tier 2, a new off-site asset operational within 2 years of occupancy

Tier 1 covers on-site and campus systems and qualifying social impact projects. Tier 2 covers new off-site assets operational within 2 years of occupancy. Tier 3 covers Green-e or equivalent off-site electricity or renewable fuels. A new regional wind farm online one year after occupancy is Tier 2. Starting after occupancy (B) is allowed inside the 2-year window.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc4, pp. 111–112

Answer: C. No. The renewable attributes belong to the REC buyer, and claiming them too would be double counting.

A REC carries the claim to the renewable attributes of a unit of electricity. EPA's guidance on double counting explains that once those attributes are sold, the seller can't also claim them. EAc4 likewise requires certificates to be retired for the project. Owning the panels (A) or receiving the physical power (B) doesn't keep the claim. D is wrong because on-site renewables are Tier 1 when the attributes are kept.

Source: EPA — Double Counting: REC ownership and retirement · USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc4 / attributes, pp. 111–112

Answer: C. 3

Option 1, Path 1 (MEP commissioning) is worth 2 points, and Path 2 (enclosure commissioning) is worth 1, so 3 total. The fourth point would come from Option 2, monitoring-based commissioning, which this project isn't pursuing.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc5, pp. 114–116

Answer: B. When the energy is used changed. That's demand flexibility.

DOE describes grid-interactive efficient buildings as combining energy efficiency with demand flexibility and smart technologies. Moving a load without changing daily kWh changes timing, not total energy (A). EAc6 Grid Interactive rewards capabilities like storage, demand response, and automated load management. Its demand response options can't be met with on-site combustion generation.

Source: DOE — Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings · USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc6, pp. 121–122

Answer: C. 2

Path 2 awards 1 point when the weighted average GWP is 80% of the benchmark or less, and 2 points at 50% or less. 45% beats 50%, so it earns 2. The entire credit is capped at 2 points. Option 2 (leakage management) is available only to Core and Shell projects and cannot raise that total above 2.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EAc7, pp. 123–125

Answer: D. Provide organics storage anyway, along with areas for mixed paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals.

MRp1 requires dedicated areas for organics and food waste, mixed paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals. It says organics storage is required even without collection service. It also requires safe handling for batteries, mercury-containing lamps, and electronic waste. A and C carve out exceptions the prerequisite doesn't allow. B replaces the required recycling areas.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRp1, pp. 126–127

Answer: B. The enclosure and hardscape, plus the top three embodied carbon sources and strategies considered.

MRp2 covers A1–A3 global warming potential for the structure, enclosure, and hardscape, including ancillary structures. It names minimum materials such as concrete, steel, glass, insulation, and cladding, and it asks the team to identify the top three sources and the strategies considered. Operating energy (C) is outside embodied carbon scope. Furniture (D) isn't in the required scope.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRp2, pp. 128–129

Answer: B. 2

For New Construction, building reuse earns 1 point at 20%, 2 at 35%, and 3 at 50%. 35% earns 2 points. 5 points (D) comes from the Core and Shell scale, which runs up to 50% in 10% steps.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc1, pp. 130–132

Answer: D. Carpet

The targeted types are carpet, ceilings, furniture, and interior walls. Reusing these earns points at lower thresholds than other types. Plumbing fixtures (B) are on the list of other types. Retained structural steel (A) is evaluated as building reuse under Option 1. Asphalt (C) isn't listed. For projects with demolition in scope, Option 2 also requires a salvage assessment before demolition.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc1, pp. 131–132

Answer: B. 2

The table gives 2 points for a baseline WBLCA and 1 for a baseline EPD project average, but the note caps baseline-only results at 2 points. So adding the two entries to reach 3 (A) doesn't work. The cap doesn't limit projects that show real reductions; those earn more under the table.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc2, pp. 133–136

Answer: B. 4 points; yes

Option 1 (WBLCA) awards 2 points at baseline, 3 at −10%, 4 at −20%, 5 at −30%, and 6 at −40% or better. MRc2's Platinum requirement is a 20% embodied carbon reduction, so a 20% result earns 4 points and meets it. C states the wrong Platinum threshold. D needs −40%.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc2, pp. 133–136

Answer: B. Operating energy and operating water-related energy

MRc2's WBLCA covers embodied impacts and excludes operating energy and operating water-related energy. A is wrong because ancillary structures are included. C is allowed when quantities change no more than 10% from design through construction. D is included in the required cradle-to-grave assessment.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc2, pp. 133–136

Answer: C. 16,000 kg CO₂e (16 metric tonnes)

Multiply quantity by intensity: 200 t × 80 kg CO₂e/t = 16,000 kg CO₂e, or 16 metric tonnes. A adds instead of multiplying. B and D are off by a factor of 10. This is the kind of building-up step behind MRp2's embodied carbon quantification. Keep units and life-cycle scope consistent before adding materials together.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — Embodied carbon math, pp. 128–129

Answer: A. An environmental product declaration (EPD)

An EPD reports a product's life-cycle environmental impacts for a declared unit and scope, and it's the basis for MRc2's EPD routes. The OPR (B) and commissioning reports (C) are project documents. A VOC emissions certificate (D) addresses indoor emissions under MRc3, not life-cycle impacts. An EPD by itself doesn't demonstrate compliance with indoor VOC emissions limits.

Source: EPA — EPD Basics: What Is an EPD? · USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc2 Reduce Embodied Carbon, pp. 133–136 · USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc3 Low-Emitting Materials, pp. 138–143

Answer: C. No. Ceilings must be more than 90%, and exactly 90% doesn't meet it.

Path 1 requires more than 90% compliance in each of the three categories: paints and coatings, flooring, and ceilings. "More than" excludes exactly 90%, so ceilings fall short. Categories aren't averaged (A), and "at least" (B) is a different threshold from the one the credit uses. D invents a 100% rule.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc3, pp. 138–139

Answer: C. Poured concrete

MRc3 excludes several categories outright, including poured concrete, structural framing, HVAC and ducts, plumbing, electrical, and insulation outside the air barrier. Paint (A), flooring (B), and ceilings (D) are exactly the categories New Construction Path 1 evaluates.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc3, pp. 139–140

Answer: A. 2 points: 75% diverted, and 20 ÷ 75 = 26.7% of it source-separated

Diversion = (20 + 55) ÷ 100 = 75%. The second test is about the share of diverted material, not of all waste: 20 ÷ 75 = 26.7%, which meets 25%. So the project earns 2 points. B uses the wrong denominator. C forgets the 2-point threshold. D is wrong because verified mixed processing counts; an unverified mixed facility's recovery rate is capped at 35%, not the whole project's diversion rate.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc5, pp. 146–147

Answer: C. Excavated soil is excluded from the calculation, and ADC counts as 0% diversion.

MRc5 excludes excavated soil, land-clearing debris, and hazardous waste from the calculation entirely. It counts ADC and incineration as 0% diversion. Counting either as diverted (A, B, D) inflates the rate. Salvaged material, not ADC, is what gets weighted at 200%.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — MRc5, pp. 146–147

Answer: D. Move them into protected storage, away from moisture.

EQp1's source-control measures require absorptive materials to be stored where they're protected from moisture. The fix is to move them now. Drying out (A) doesn't establish that wet material is acceptable. Installing it right away (C) builds the problem into the ceiling. A sealant (B) isn't a storage control. Any material that has already been damaged needs proper evaluation, not just drying.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQp1, pp. 148–149

Answer: B. Replace all filters, then do testing and balancing (TAB) with the new filters in place.

EQp1's HVAC protection measures call for replacing all filters before occupancy and doing testing and balancing with the new filters. Balancing with dirty construction filters would set airflows for the wrong pressure drop. A, C, and D skip or undo that protection.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQp1, pp. 148–149

Answer: C. MERV 13, or ePM1 50% under ISO 16890

EQp2 requires MERV 13 (ASHRAE 52.2), ePM1 50% (ISO 16890), or air cleaners meeting ASHRAE 241. MERV 8 and 11 are lower efficiency. A marketing label (D) isn't a test standard. EQp2 also requires outdoor airflow measurement on intakes over 1,000 cfm (472 L/s).

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQp2, pp. 150–152

Answer: C. No. Schools must prohibit smoking everywhere on the site.

The general EQp3 rule keeps outdoor smoking at least 25 feet (7.5 meters) from entries, intakes, and operable windows; where local code prevents the distance, its stated maximum-feasible-distance exception applies. Schools are different: they must prohibit smoking anywhere on site. A and B apply the general rule to a school. D invents a distance. EQp3 also prohibits vehicle idling.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQp3, pp. 153–154

Answer: B. Option 2: the enhanced IAQP limits for PM2.5, formaldehyde, and ozone

EQc1 says projects using the Ventilation Rate Procedure can use either option, but projects using the IAQP must use Option 2, the enhanced IAQP targets (PM2.5 10 µg/m³, formaldehyde 20 µg/m³, ozone 10 ppb). Option 1's added outdoor air (15% more in 95% of regularly occupied spaces) is built on Ventilation Rate Procedure rates.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc1, pp. 155–156

Answer: B. 2

Path 2 awards 2 points at 75% of floor area and 3 points at 90%. At 82%, the project earns 2. The glazing must have visible light transmittance (VLT) above 40%. Some space types, such as auditoriums and gyms, can be excluded.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc2 Option 1, p. 158

Answer: B. 2 points; describe glare control for any space where annual sunlight exposure (ASE) exceeds 20%

Path 4 awards 1 point at 40%, 2 at 55%, 3 at 65%, and 4 at 75%. At 60%, the project earns 2. Spaces with ASE over 20% (too much direct sun) must describe how glare will be controlled. A undercounts. C and D overcount and invent requirements.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc2 Option 5, p. 162

Answer: D. Add controllable shading or glare-control devices that occupants can adjust.

Glare from direct sun calls for a glare-control device such as blinds or shades. EQc2's glare control path expects occupants to be able to control them, even when automatic controls are used. Better lamps (A) don't block sun. A higher daylight score (C) does not demonstrate glare control. Ventilation (B) is unrelated.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc2 Option 5, pp. 161–162

Answer: A. Map acoustic expectations for each space based on how it's used.

EQc2 Option 4, Path 1 asks the team to map acoustic expectations, space by space. A confidential meeting room needs speech privacy, while an open area needs a different balance. B, C, and D all avoid matching sound conditions to how each space is used. Path 2 then applies acoustic criteria to at least 75% of occupied spaces and all classrooms and core learning spaces.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc2 Option 4, p. 160

Answer: B. No. The credit requires at least 10 inclusion strategies beyond code.

EQc3 treats local accessibility code as the baseline. Earning the point takes at least 10 strategies beyond code, drawn from groups such as physical diversity, safety and aging, social health, and navigation. Examples include a fully accessible, all-gender, single-user restroom on each floor and signage in languages spoken by more than 5% of the local population. Code compliance alone (A) and a consultant's sign-off (D) don't substitute. EQc4 (C) is unrelated.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc3, pp. 163–164

Answer: B. A model of the building during a 2-day power outage, without active cooling or heating, showing thermal safety zones.

Option 3 is about passive habitability: how the building performs through a 2-day outage, using typical meteorological year data for peak summer or peak winter conditions and identified thermal safety zones. A model with cooling running (A) doesn't test that. A generator study (C) shows backup power, which is the opposite of passive performance. Utility bills (D) say nothing about outage conditions.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc4, pp. 165–166

Answer: B. 1

Option 4 awards 1 point when 50% of regularly occupied spaces have qualifying operable windows and 2 points at 75%. 60% earns 1. Zero ignores the 50% threshold; 2 points needs 75%, and 3 exceeds this option's maximum.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc4, p. 166

Answer: D. Formaldehyde exceeds the 20 µg/m³ limit, so the space doesn't meet Path 2 as tested.

Path 2 sets VOC limits, including 20 µg/m³ (16 ppb) for formaldehyde, and the samples must be analyzed by a lab accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for the applicable test methods. 24 exceeds the limit. A and C invent a missing or higher limit. Total VOCs (B) are a screening step: above 500 µg/m³ triggers investigation. They don't replace the individual compound limits.

Source: USGBC, LEED v5 BD+C Rating System — EQc5, pp. 167–170