LEED AP BD+C Exam Prep (LEED v5)
This free LEED AP BD+C exam prep guide uses LEED v5, with a worked example, a four-week plan, and 23 original questions. The current AP exam is in beta, so results are delayed; USGBC tentatively expects them in February 2027 (current beta guidance).
How to read a v5 requirement: a worked example
Worked example: water reduction. A hypothetical LEED v5 BD+C: New Construction project is pursuing Enhanced Water Efficiency, Option 2 (fixtures and fittings, calculated reduction). Assume the baseline and all other conditions are valid. Annual baseline fixture use is 80,000 U.S. gallons. The design uses 52,000 gallons, with no alternative water.
- Reduction = (baseline − design) ÷ baseline
- (80,000 − 52,000) ÷ 80,000 = 28,000 ÷ 80,000 = 35%
- Option 2's table awards 1 point at 30%, 2 points at 35%, and 3 points at 40%.
The answer is 2 points. A possible slip is reading 65% as the savings, but 65% is how much water the design still uses compared with the baseline. Also notice what this result doesn't tell you. It says nothing about whole-project water use, which is Option 1 with a different table, and nothing about whether other credit conditions are met. (USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — WEc2, New Construction, Option 2, Table 2 (printed p. 63; PDF p. 70))
Now try Question 11 below without averaging the two percentages.
The five-field check
Before you calculate anything, pull out five things:
- Adaptation. New Construction or Core and Shell? Some options apply to only one.
- Prerequisite or credit, and which option or path. Point tables differ by option.
- Baseline and boundary. What are you comparing against, and what's included?
- Units and the calculation. Reduction from baseline, or percent of total?
- Other conditions. Dates, certifications, contract lengths, and anything else that has to be true.
LEED AP BD+C is the Building Design + Construction specialty credential; the building-certification scenarios below are study exercises, not an application for a professional license. (Exam scope)
What the v5 exam covers
GBCI publishes a question count for each of eight knowledge domains. Those counts add up to 85. The handbook separately describes a 100-question exam mixing scored and unscored questions; the cited specifications do not identify an exact unscored count. Keep the published domain allocations separate from the total exam length.
| Domain | Questions | Share of the 85 | Topics to review in the current outline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and Atmosphere | 18 | 21% | Electrification, peak thermal loads, renewable energy tiers, refrigerant global warming potential (GWP), grid-interactive design, power resilience |
| Materials and Resources | 13 | 15% | Embodied-carbon prerequisite and credit, whole-building life-cycle assessment, environmental product declaration (EPD)-based procurement, construction-activity emissions, low-emitting materials |
| Indoor Environmental Quality | 13 | 15% | Management modes for risk events (wildfire smoke, infection, power outages), accessibility and inclusion, thermal safety |
| Sustainable Sites | 9 | 11% | Extreme climate events, bird-friendly glass, tree equity |
| Water Efficiency | 9 | 11% | Whole-project water use, metering, leak detection |
| Integrative Process Planning and Assessments | 8 | 9% | Climate resilience, human impact, and carbon assessments |
| Location and Transportation | 8 | 9% | Electric vehicle equipment, equitable construction, affordable housing |
| LEED Process | 7 | 8% | Platinum requirements, LEED occupancy terms, the 40/60 rule, boundaries |
Question counts come from GBCI's LEED AP BD+C v5 exam specifications. Shares are our rounding of 85, so they total 99%. The last column summarizes topics named in each domain's outline.
Energy, materials, and indoor quality make up 44 of the 85 assigned questions (52%). This is a share of the published allocation, not a required division of study time.
Two distinctions to keep straight:
- The three v5 impact areas aren't exam domains. LEED v5 organizes credits around decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration. (Official impact-area view, printed pp. 3–5; PDF pp. 10–12) The exam is still built on the eight domains above.
- Match the current category. Low-emitting materials is a Materials and Resources credit (MRc3). File it under Materials and Resources in your v5 notes. (MRc3, printed p. 138; PDF p. 145)
LEED AP BD+C practice questions (23, LEED v5)
These are original, unofficial Castleport practice questions written for the v5 BD+C outline. They aren't GBCI exam questions, and your score here doesn't predict your exam result. Each one has a single best answer. Pick yours, then check the explanation.
This is a starter set across all eight domains, not a full-length exam or complete coverage of every objective. Building certification decisions in the scenarios are distinct from your professional credential.
Question 1
LEED Process · Analysis
A LEED v5 BD+C: New Construction project meets every prerequisite and scores 86 points. It earns 9 points in Enhanced Energy Efficiency, covers 100% of its annual site energy with qualifying renewable electricity and renewable-fuel procurement, and documents a 25% embodied-carbon reduction. Routine space heating comes from natural-gas boilers, not emergency equipment. Can the project be certified Platinum?
- A. Yes. It meets every prerequisite and has more than 80 points.
- B. No. Platinum requires all 10 Enhanced Energy Efficiency points.
- C. No. Platinum requires 5 Electrification points, and gas boilers rule out the only 5-point option.
- D. Yes, as long as more than half of the renewable energy comes from new off-site supply.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. In v5, 80 points by itself isn't enough for Platinum. A New Construction project must also earn 5 points in Electrification, at least 8 points in Enhanced Energy Efficiency, supply 100% of site energy from renewables (any mix of tiers), and cut embodied carbon by at least 20%. The scenario stipulates that this project clears the last three. Renewable electricity cannot simply be assigned to fuel use; the stem supplies qualifying renewable-fuel procurement for that share. The only 5-point Electrification path is Option 1, which requires no on-site combustion except emergency support systems and has additional equipment-efficiency conditions. Renewable procurement does not waive the combustion restriction. Option 2, which allows combustion only at low temperatures, tops out at 4 points, and gas boilers as the main heat source don't fit it anyway. A ignores the decarbonization gate. B overstates the efficiency requirement (8 points, not 10). D invents a tier-mix rule.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — Appendix I: LEED Platinum Requirements (printed p. 174; PDF p. 181); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EAc1, New Construction, Options 1–2 (printed pp. 86–87; PDF pp. 93–94); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EAc4, renewable-energy criteria (printed pp. 111–112; PDF pp. 118–119)
Question 2
LEED Process · Application
A developer is building a nine-story office building for LEED v5 BD+C certification. At certification, the owner will have finished the lobby, an amenity floor, and two owner-occupied office floors, which is 55% of gross floor area. The other 45% will be shell space with no finishes or tenant systems, waiting for future tenants. Which BD+C adaptation must the project use?
- A. Core and Shell, because more than 40% of the floor area will be incomplete at certification.
- B. New Construction, because more than half the building will be finished.
- C. Either one, because the finished area falls between 40% and 60%.
- D. ID+C for the finished floors and Core and Shell for the rest.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. USGBC's v5 selection guidance requires at least 60% of gross floor area to be complete for New Construction and identifies Core and Shell for projects with at least 40% incomplete. This project has only 55% complete and 45% incomplete, so it belongs in Core and Shell. C substitutes the general 40/60 discretion for the stated v5 completion requirements. B uses a 50% test that doesn't exist. D fails because BD+C certifies the whole building as one project.
Source: USGBC — LEED rating system selection guidance (LEED v5 → Building Design and Construction → New Construction; Core and Shell)
Question 3
LEED Process · Application
A new office building has a dedicated surface parking lot on the same parcel. The lot touches the rest of the site, serves only the building's occupants and visitors, and is part of the construction scope. The team wants to leave the lot out of the LEED project boundary because that would improve its site calculations. What's the right call?
- A. Leave it out, because parking isn't gross floor area.
- B. Leave it out, because the lot isn't seeking its own certification.
- C. Draw the boundary wherever it produces the most points.
- D. Include it, because the boundary must cover contiguous land that supports the project's normal operations, including parking.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. USGBC's minimum program requirements say the LEED project boundary must include all contiguous land associated with the project and supporting its typical operations, such as parking, sidewalks, stormwater features, and landscaping. The boundary can't unreasonably exclude areas to gain a credit advantage. A and B apply tests that don't exist, and C describes exactly what the rule prohibits. Compare Question 8: a shared garage that mainly serves a different building is handled differently.
Source: USGBC — Minimum Program Requirement 2 (Must use reasonable LEED boundaries); USGBC — MPRs FAQ (LEED v5 applicability; Minimum Program Requirement 2)
Question 4
Integrative Process Planning and Assessments · Recall
In early design for a coastal hospital, the owner wants the assessment that identifies site-specific hazards such as flooding, sea-level rise, and extreme heat so they can shape design priorities. Which LEED v5 prerequisite does that?
- A. Carbon Assessment
- B. Human Impact Assessment
- C. Climate Resilience Assessment
- D. Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The Climate Resilience Assessment covers site-specific natural hazards. The Human Impact Assessment covers human use, health, and social context, including demographics, local infrastructure, and occupant experience. It's also where the project identifies applicable accessibility codes. The two carbon prerequisites deal with emissions, not hazards.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — IPp1 Climate Resilience Assessment (printed p. 6; PDF p. 13); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — IPp2 Human Impact Assessment; IPp3 Carbon Assessment (printed pp. 8–10; PDF pp. 15–17); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — MRp2 Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon (printed p. 128; PDF p. 135)
Question 5
Integrative Process Planning and Assessments · Application
For the v5 Carbon Assessment prerequisite, a New Construction team has entered data for its operational carbon projection (EAp1) and its transportation demand management plan (LTc4). It hasn't provided refrigerant data (EAp5) or embodied-carbon data (MRp2). What still needs to happen?
- A. Nothing. The transportation data can stand in for the refrigerant and embodied-carbon inputs.
- B. Provide the refrigerant and embodied-carbon data. The transportation input is optional and can't substitute for them.
- C. The team must build its own 25-year emissions model before USGBC will review anything.
- D. Remove the transportation data, because only operational energy counts.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. USGBC produces a 25-year projection of operational, refrigerant, and embodied-carbon emissions from data the team supplies under EAp1, EAp5, and MRp2. Transportation data from LTc4 is optional. A swaps an optional input for required ones. C gets the roles backwards, because USGBC provides the projection. D throws out data the prerequisite allows.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — IPp3 Carbon Assessment (printed p. 10; PDF p. 17)
Question 6
Integrative Process Planning and Assessments · Recall
A Core and Shell team is preparing the tenant guidelines required by IPp4. When must tenants receive them?
- A. Before they sign the lease
- B. With the building's first annual operations report
- C. After the first tenant finishes its fit-out
- D. Only if a tenant asks for them
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Tenant guidelines go to all tenants before they sign the lease, while the information can still shape their decisions and fit-out. Each of the other options delivers them too late or not at all. IPp4 is a Core and Shell prerequisite. Core and Shell projects also put their embodied-carbon measurements and material suppliers in these guidelines under MRp2.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — IPp4 Tenant Guidelines (printed p. 11; PDF p. 18); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — MRp2, Core and Shell tenant-guideline requirement (printed p. 129; PDF p. 136)
Question 7
Location and Transportation · Application
Under Compact and Connected Development, Access to Transit (public transit service path), an ordinary bus stop—not a bus rapid transit stop—is 0.20 miles (about 320 m) from a functional entry in a straight line, but the actual walking route is 0.35 miles (about 560 m). Looking only at the distance requirement, does the stop qualify?
- A. Yes. The straight-line distance is under 0.25 miles (400 m).
- B. Yes. Ordinary bus stops are allowed 0.5 miles (800 m).
- C. No. The walking route is longer than the 0.25-mile (400 m) limit for ordinary bus stops.
- D. Yes. Average the two distances.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The requirement is measured as walking distance: 0.25 miles (400 m) for ordinary bus, streetcar, and informal transit stops. The 0.5-mile (800 m) allowance in B applies to bus rapid transit, passenger rail, and commuter ferry. A uses the wrong measurement and D invents one. Even a stop within range must also meet the separate weekday and weekend trip minimums.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — LTc3, Option 2, Path 1: Public Transit Service (printed p. 23; PDF p. 30)
Question 8
Location and Transportation · Application
A certifying office building shares a site with a hotel. The site's parking garage mainly serves the hotel, so the team leaves the garage out of the office's LEED project boundary. What happens to the garage spaces the office's occupants use?
- A. They drop out of every calculation once the garage is outside the boundary.
- B. The whole garage must go back into the boundary.
- C. The garage must earn Parksmart certification first.
- D. The spaces serving the office still count in the Location and Transportation calculations.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. USGBC allows a team to exclude a garage that mainly serves other buildings. The portion that serves the certifying building still has to be accounted for in Location and Transportation calculations. A confuses the project boundary with the scope of the transportation calculations. B reverses the permission. C only matters if a team chooses to pursue Parksmart.
Source: USGBC — MPRs FAQ (v5 applicability; “The certifying building shares the site with another building. How do we deal with shared parking and shared indoor and outdoor spaces?”)
Question 9
Sustainable Sites · Application
A 12-story office building with no green roofs is pursuing the bird-friendly glass option of Biodiverse Habitat. Which glass must meet the maximum threat factor of 30?
- A. Clear curtain wall from 60 to 160 feet (18 to 49 m) above grade
- B. A glass guardrail on an 11th-floor terrace
- C. Clerestory glazing that starts 55 feet (17 m) above grade
- D. None of it, because the option covers only ground-floor storefronts
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. The requirement covers all glass, including spandrel, from grade up to 50 feet (15 m), up to 20 feet (6 m) above the finished grade of a green roof, and glass in guardrails and windshields at any height. That's why the 11th-floor guardrail is in scope. A and C sit entirely above 50 feet, and D is too narrow.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — SSc1, Option 2: Bird-Friendly Glass (printed pp. 38–39; PDF pp. 45–46)
Question 10
Sustainable Sites · Application
For Rainwater Management, Option 1: Percentile of Rainfall Events, a team is comparing ways to handle runoff from its chosen rainfall event. The civil engineer has confirmed the soils and site conditions are suitable. Which strategy retains runoff on site?
- A. Upsizing the storm outfall pipe
- B. A smoother paved channel that moves water off site faster
- C. A bioretention area that infiltrates runoff and lets plants evapotranspire it
- D. Rerouting runoff to a different municipal storm connection
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Option 1 of v5 Rainwater Management requires retaining the percentile event volume on site, by infiltrating it, evapotranspiring it, or collecting and reusing it, through low-impact development and green infrastructure. Bioretention does that. A, B, and D only move water somewhere else. For reference, retaining the 80th, 85th, or 90th percentile event earns 1, 2, or 3 points (zero-lot-line projects have lower thresholds), and qualifying reuse can raise a 1- or 2-point result by one point, subject to the credit’s 3-point maximum. A retention strategy alone does not establish the required volume or a point award.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — SSc3, Option 1 and Table 1; maximum 3 points (printed p. 42; PDF p. 49)
Question 11
Water Efficiency · Analysis
Two fixture groups are reported on the same annual basis. Group A has a baseline of 100,000 gallons and design use of 60,000 gallons. Group B has a baseline of 300,000 gallons and design use of 240,000 gallons. What is the combined reduction from the combined baseline?
- A. 20%
- B. 30%
- C. 40%
- D. 25%
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Add the quantities first. The combined baseline is 400,000 gallons and the combined design use is 300,000 gallons, so (400,000 − 300,000) ÷ 400,000 = 25%. A is Group B's rate alone and C is Group A's rate alone. B averages 40% and 20% without weighting them by their very different baselines. The inputs are made up for the exercise, and the answer is a percentage, not a point award.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — WEc2, New Construction, Option 2: fixture-demand context (printed p. 63; PDF p. 70)
Question 12
Water Efficiency · Recall
Which of these is not an alternative water source under the source-based distinction used by the U.S. Department of Energy?
- A. Condensate captured from air-handling units
- B. Rainwater harvested from the roof
- C. Reclaimed water purchased from the utility
- D. Conventional potable municipal water drawn from fresh surface water or groundwater
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Alternative water comes from sources other than fresh surface water or groundwater. Harvested rainwater, captured condensate, reclaimed wastewater, and graywater all qualify. The conventional freshwater supply in D is what these alternatives offset. Potable describes water quality, not its original source; treated alternative water can also be potable. In v5, the water reuse option of Enhanced Water Efficiency also recognizes on-site reuse systems and municipally supplied reclaimed water.
Source: U.S. DOE FEMP — Alternative Water Sources (Opening definition; harvested rainwater; reclaimed wastewater; captured condensate; treatment for potable or nonpotable use); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — WEc2, New Construction, Option 6, Path 2 (printed p. 68; PDF p. 75)
Question 13
Energy and Atmosphere · Analysis
Under Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Option 2 (energy simulation), Path 1 (excluding on-site renewables), a New Construction project's performance index is 22% below its performance index target. Assume the model and all other pathway conditions are valid. How many points does it earn, and does it meet the energy-efficiency minimum for Platinum?
- A. 8 points; yes
- B. 7 points; no
- C. 7 points; yes
- D. 2 points; no
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Path 1 awards 1 point per 3% below the target, so 21% earns 7 points and 24% earns 8. At 22% the project has 7 points, and the New Construction energy-efficiency minimum for Platinum is 8 points. D applies the Path 2 scale (10% per point, including on-site renewables) to a Path 1 result. Note that this v5 simulation option measures performance in future source energy, not cost.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EAc3, New Construction, Option 2 and Table 4 (printed pp. 101–102; PDF pp. 108–109); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — Appendix I: LEED Platinum Requirements (printed p. 174; PDF p. 181)
Question 14
Energy and Atmosphere · Analysis
An all-electric New Construction project buys Green-e Energy certified off-site renewable electricity, not from a new generation asset, equal to 100% of its annual electricity use. The contract runs 10 years, the supply is in the same country, and all certificates are retired for the project. Assume all other procurement conditions, including certificate vintage, are met and this is its only renewable-energy contribution. How does this count under Renewable Energy?
- A. 5 points, because it covers 100% of site energy
- B. 0 points, because only on-site renewables count
- C. 2 points, and it satisfies the renewable-energy part of the Platinum requirements
- D. 2 points, but it can't count toward Platinum because Platinum requires Tier 1
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. This is Tier 3, certified off-site renewable energy that doesn't come from a new asset. Tier 3 earns 1 point at 50% and 2 points at 100%. The 5-point row requires 100% from Tier 1 and/or Tier 2, so A fails. The Platinum renewable requirement is 100% of site energy from any combination of Tiers 1, 2, and 3, so D is wrong. B ignores off-site tiers entirely. The project still has to meet the other Platinum requirements.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EAc4, New Construction Table 1 and renewable-energy criteria (printed pp. 109–112; PDF pp. 116–119); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — Appendix I: LEED Platinum Requirements (printed p. 174; PDF p. 181)
Question 15
Energy and Atmosphere · Application
During design on a v5 project, the commissioning provider (CxP) reviews the basis of design (BOD). What is that review checking?
- A. Whether the BOD complies with the owner's project requirements (OPR)
- B. Whether equipment purchase orders match the drawings
- C. Whether occupants are satisfied after move-in
- D. Whether the OPR should be rewritten to match equipment already chosen
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Under Fundamental Commissioning, the CxP helps develop the OPR in predesign and keeps it updated. During design, the CxP reviews the BOD for compliance with the OPR. During construction, the CxP reviews submittals and substitutions. B compares procurement with drawings rather than the design with the OPR; C concerns occupancy, and D reverses the relationship. The owner must designate the CxP by the end of design development, and in v5 the OPR must cover the envelope as well as building systems.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EAp3 Fundamental Commissioning, design and construction duties (printed pp. 81–82; PDF pp. 88–89)
Question 16
Energy and Atmosphere · Recall
A New Construction team pursues the building-enclosure path of v5 Enhanced Commissioning. Which set of field tests is required?
- A. Duct leakage testing, test and balance, and infrared imaging
- B. Whole-building air leakage testing only
- C. Building air leakage testing, water penetration testing, and infrared imaging
- D. Water penetration testing plus a laboratory test of window U-factor
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The enclosure path (1 point) requires all three field tests: air leakage, water penetration, and infrared imaging, each under named ASTM or AAMA methods. A mixes in HVAC tests. B is incomplete. D swaps in a lab rating that isn't a field test.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EAc5, New Construction, building-enclosure path (printed p. 115; PDF p. 122)
Question 17
Materials and Resources · Application
A team aiming only for Certified wants to skip all embodied-carbon work. Is that allowed in LEED v5 BD+C?
- A. Yes. Embodied carbon only matters for Platinum.
- B. Yes, if the owner buys carbon offsets.
- C. Only Core and Shell projects must address embodied carbon.
- D. No. Quantifying embodied carbon and naming the top three sources is a prerequisite. Reducing it is optional below Platinum.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon (MRp2) is required at every certification level. Teams quantify cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) emissions for the structure, enclosure, and hardscape, then identify the top three sources and how they considered reducing them. The reduction credit, MRc2, is optional, but Platinum requires at least a 20% reduction. A overlooks the prerequisite, B invents an offset exception, and C ignores its New Construction applicability.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — MRp2 Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon (printed pp. 128–129; PDF pp. 135–136); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — Appendix I: LEED Platinum Requirements (printed p. 174; PDF p. 181)
Question 18
Materials and Resources · Analysis
For MRp2, a team is ranking its largest embodied-carbon sources using cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) global warming potential (GWP) factors. CO2e means carbon-dioxide equivalent. Material X: 40 m³ at 250 kg CO2e/m³. Material Y: 2,000 kg at 1.5 kg CO2e/kg. Which line contributes more?
- A. Material X, at 10,000 kg CO2e
- B. Material Y, at 3,000 kg CO2e
- C. Material X, at 250 kg CO2e
- D. They're equal, because both factors measure GWP
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. MRp2 defines each material's emissions as GWP per unit times the quantity used. X is 40 × 250 = 10,000 kg CO2e and Y is 2,000 × 1.5 = 3,000 kg CO2e. B calculates Y correctly but picks the smaller line. C forgets the quantity. D ignores both quantity and units. The numbers are made up, and comparing two lines isn't a whole-building life-cycle assessment. The factors use the same life-cycle boundary, but this does not establish that X and Y are interchangeable functional substitutes.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — MRp2, quantity × A1–A3 impact factor (printed p. 128; PDF p. 135); U.S. EPA — Understanding Global Warming Potentials (GWP and comparable CO2-equivalent impacts)
Question 19
Materials and Resources · Analysis
A New Construction project pursues Reduce Embodied Carbon, Option 1 (whole-building life-cycle assessment). Its baseline is 1,000,000 kg CO2e and its proposed design is 820,000 kg CO2e. Assume the baseline, life-cycle boundary, and all other Option 1 conditions are valid; no points from other options are being claimed. How many Option 1 points does it earn, and does it meet the embodied-carbon minimum for Platinum?
- A. 4 points; meets the embodied-carbon minimum for Platinum
- B. 3 points; meets the embodied-carbon minimum for Platinum
- C. 3 points; doesn't meet the embodied-carbon minimum for Platinum
- D. 2 points; doesn't meet the embodied-carbon minimum for Platinum
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. (1,000,000 − 820,000) ÷ 1,000,000 = 18%. Under Option 1, a 10% reduction earns 3 points and a 20% reduction earns 4, so 18% earns 3. Platinum requires at least a 20% reduction, which means 800,000 kg CO2e or less. D is the points for only meeting the baseline. The inputs are made up for the exercise.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — MRc2, New Construction, Option 1 and Table 1 (printed pp. 133–134; PDF pp. 140–141); USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — Appendix I: LEED Platinum Requirements (printed p. 174; PDF p. 181)
Question 20
Materials and Resources · Application
A contractor submits documents for new vinyl flooring under v5 Low-Emitting Materials. Which document fits the third-party-certification route?
- A. A qualifying third-party certification, valid when the product was purchased, showing compliance with CDPH Standard Method v1.2-2017 (private office scenario)
- B. An environmental product declaration (EPD) reporting the product's global warming potential
- C. A "zero-VOC content" claim on the product data sheet
- D. The manufacturer's "eco-friendly" marketing statement
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. The certification route requires a qualifying certification, valid at purchase, showing testing to CDPH Standard Method v1.2-2017. Another route is a qualifying lab report from testing no more than three years before purchase. B answers a different question, about embodied carbon. VOC means volatile organic compound. C describes VOC content, not tested emissions. D isn't evidence. In v5, Low-Emitting Materials sits in Materials and Resources (MRc3), not Indoor Environmental Quality.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — MRc3, flooring category and VOC-emissions evaluation criteria (printed pp. 139–141; PDF pp. 146–148)
Question 21
Indoor Environmental Quality · Application
Drywall sanding is underway on a New Construction project floor where the permanent air handler has to run for temporary heat. Which response matches the HVAC-protection and pathway-interruption requirements in v5 Construction Management?
- A. Run it with the filters removed so they don't clog
- B. Keep proper filtration while it runs, isolate the sanding area, and replace all filtration media after construction and before occupancy
- C. Run it at maximum outdoor air with no filtration to dilute the dust
- D. Ignore it for now and clean up at substantial completion
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Construction Management says not to run permanently installed equipment if you can avoid it. If it must run, maintain proper filtration, replace all filtration media after construction and before occupancy, and confirm testing and balancing with the new filters. Pathway interruption calls for isolating dusty work. A and C leave the operating system without filtration. D delays protection until after contamination can occur. This addresses the stated LEED requirements, not a complete construction-safety plan or the entire prerequisite.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EQp1 Construction Management, HVAC protection and pathway interruption (printed p. 148; PDF p. 155)
Question 22
Indoor Environmental Quality · Application
A Core and Shell project wants Resilient Spaces, Option 1: a management mode for episodic outdoor conditions such as wildfire smoke. What should the team notice first?
- A. Option 1 applies to every BD+C adaptation listed for the credit
- B. Core and Shell can use it if the tenant guidelines mention it
- C. The number of available points overrides option-level scope
- D. Option 1 is labeled New Construction only
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Read the option, not just the credit heading. Option 1, based on ASHRAE Guideline 44, and Option 2, the respiratory-disease mode based on ASHRAE 241, are both labeled New Construction only. A assumes the heading controls. B and C invent exceptions.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EQc4, Options 1 and 2, New Construction-only scope (printed pp. 165–166; PDF pp. 172–173)
Question 23
Indoor Environmental Quality · Application
For Accessibility and Inclusion, which wayfinding proposal uses the most strategies from the credit's "accessibility for navigation" list?
- A. Clear signs for exits, entrances, and major functions; nontext symbols on signs; and braille and tactile cues along paths of travel
- B. Remove permanent signs and rely on a phone app
- C. Color-block key access spaces and do nothing else
- D. Give directions only at a staffed reception desk
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. A uses three listed strategies: wayfinding signage, nontext symbols, and braille or tactile cues. Color blocking is also on the list, so C uses one. B and D use none. The full credit requires meeting local accessibility codes plus at least 10 strategies beyond code, chosen from the full credit’s list, so wayfinding is only part of it. This comparison does not establish compliance with accessibility law or achievement of the full credit.
Source: USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — EQc3 Accessibility and Inclusion; accessibility for navigation (printed pp. 163–164; PDF pp. 170–171)
How to use your results
Compare your choices with the revealed answers. For a complete attempt, count one point for each correct answer out of 23; leave unanswered items identified as unanswered.
Your percentage is how you did on these 23 questions, nothing more. It's not a scaled score, and two to four questions per domain is too few to measure a domain. Use your misses to decide what to study next:
| What went wrong | What to do |
|---|---|
| Didn't know the term | Rewrite the concept in your own words, then reread the credit's intent |
| Wrong adaptation or option | Note which option the requirement belongs to, and whether it's NC only or CS only |
| Math slip | Redo it from a blank page. Check the denominator and units before the arithmetic |
| Assumed a v4 rule | Find the v5 credit language and write down what changed |
Your 4-week LEED AP BD+C study plan
This plan assumes six one-hour sessions a week (24 hours total), that you've already passed the Green Associate, and that you have the current v5 BD+C reference material. It's our editorial plan, not a GBCI preparation-time requirement or a passing promise. Use this rhythm for topic-study sessions; the timed-practice session has its own split: 10 minutes recalling the last session, 30 minutes learning, 15 minutes practicing, and 5 minutes logging mistakes.
| Session | Focus | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| W1-1 | Scope and sources | Open the handbook's BD+C v5 specifications. List the eight domains and question counts from memory. |
| W1-2 | LEED Process: boundaries and rating-system selection | Study the minimum program requirements, the general 40/60 rule, and the v5 completion requirements for New Construction and Core and Shell. Do Q2 and Q3. |
| W1-3 | LEED Process: Platinum and prerequisites | Write the four additional Platinum requirements and every prerequisite you can name. Do Q1. |
| W1-4 | Integrative Process: assessments | Separate the Climate Resilience, Human Impact, and Carbon Assessments by what each produces. Do Q4 and Q5. |
| W1-5 | Core and Shell specifics | List the requirements that change for CS, such as tenant guidelines. Do Q6. |
| W1-6 | Week 1 review | Redo misses cold. Rewrite one explanation in your own words. |
| W2-1 | Location and Transportation | Walking distances by transit type, trip minimums, transportation demand management, EV equipment. Do Q7 and Q8. |
| W2-2 | Sustainable Sites | Habitat, bird-friendly glass, rainwater percentiles, heat island, light pollution. Do Q9 and Q10. |
| W2-3 | Water Efficiency: calculations | Rework the worked example from scratch. Compare WEc2 Option 1 with Option 2. Do Q11. |
| W2-4 | Water Efficiency: metering and sources | Metering, leak detection, alternative water, reuse. Do Q12. |
| W2-5 | EA prerequisites | Operational carbon projection, minimum efficiency, fundamental commissioning, metering, refrigerant management. Do Q15. |
| W2-6 | Calculation review | Redo Q11, Q13, Q18, and Q19 cold. Log setup errors separately from arithmetic errors. |
| W3-1 | Enhanced Energy Efficiency | Prescriptive versus simulation options, performance index versus target, Path 1 versus Path 2. Do Q13. |
| W3-2 | Electrification and Renewable Energy | No-combustion options, low-temperature exceptions, Tiers 1–3. Do Q14, then revisit Q1. |
| W3-3 | Enhanced Commissioning and the rest of EA | Enclosure commissioning, monitoring-based commissioning, peak thermal loads, grid-interactive design. Do Q16. |
| W3-4 | Embodied carbon: the prerequisite | A1–A3 emissions, the required materials, the top three sources. Do Q17 and Q18. |
| W3-5 | Embodied carbon credit and low-emitting materials | Life-cycle assessment versus EPD paths, the 20% Platinum threshold, CDPH testing. Do Q19 and Q20. |
| W3-6 | The rest of MR | Building and material reuse, waste, ingredient reporting. Make a list of anything you haven't practiced. |
| W4-1 | IEQ: construction and air quality | Construction management practices, ventilation, filtration. Do Q21. |
| W4-2 | IEQ: resilience and inclusion | Management modes, thermal safety, accessibility strategies. Do Q22 and Q23. |
| W4-3 | IEQ: light, sound, views | Daylight metrics (spatial daylight autonomy and annual sunlight exposure), glare, acoustics, biophilia. Write a source-located note for each topic. |
| W4-4 | Mixed retrieval | Answer all 23 questions without reading the explanations. Repeat answers measure memory, not new readiness. |
| W4-5 | Timed practice | Allow about 28 minutes for the 23 on-page questions, then use the remaining 32 minutes to review guesses and misses. This scales 23 × 120 ÷ 100 = 27.6 minutes; it is a pacing exercise, not a full-length exam. Familiar questions do not measure fresh readiness. |
| W4-6 | Final check | Recheck your exam version, ID name match, and appointment details. Explain one concept per domain out loud. |
Need more time? Stretch the same 24 sessions over six weeks at four sessions a week, or eight weeks at three. If a concept still feels shaky, repeat the session instead of moving on.
Use the free July 2026 BD+C rating-system requirements and the current handbook’s reference list for the topic-study sessions. Record objectives you have not studied; this starter set does not replace them. A four-week plan beginning October 14 extends beyond the October 27 beta data-collection deadline. Do not compress an unsuitable plan to meet that deadline.
Which exam will you get if you book now?
It depends on the date you test, not the date you register. Every current BD+C option is LEED v5, because the v4 AP exam ended June 28, 2026. The v5 AP beta began June 30, 2026.
| If you test… | You'll sit | Results | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| By October 27, 2026, only if you opted into the beta by October 21, 2026 (U.S. Eastern Time) | v5 beta, data-collection phase | Held until beta scores release, estimated February 2027 | 50% off, 50% off a second attempt if needed, and CE hours if you pass |
| During the testing-only beta phase through standard registration | v5 beta, testing-only phase | Held until beta scores release, estimated February 2027 | Standard fee |
| Once the final exam publishes, expected around February 2027 | Final v5 exam | On screen at the end of the exam | Standard fee |
Sources: USGBC Help Center, LEED v5 exam information (updated October 9, 2026) and the LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook. The opt-in and testing deadlines above are the published data-collection deadlines as checked October 14, 2026. February 2027 is a tentative result-release estimate, not a guaranteed date. Standard registration does not promise an immediate-result final exam; check the version available for your test date.
What that means in practice:
- During the beta, English only and no combined exam. You need an active LEED Green Associate (or an active LEED AP with specialty) at registration and through exam day. A Green Associate earned on v4 counts if it remains active. (Eligibility)
- A beta pass is the same credential. USGBC says v4 and v5 exams lead to the same credential with the same recognition.
- Scores can't be released early. Beta results come out when the analysis finishes, and then the final exam publishes.
How to decide: If you're ready before the beta deadlines and the discount matters, the beta is the cheaper attempt. You'll just wait months for a score. If you need the credential on paper by a specific date, booking a beta seat won't get it to you any faster. Do not rely on the tentative February 2027 release for a firm credential deadline; check USGBC's page before you book.
To register, sign in to your USGBC credentials dashboard, choose LEED AP BD+C, and pay. You'll get an eligibility ID, then you schedule with Prometric at a test center or online.
An extension of LEED v4 building-project registration does not reopen the retired v4 BD+C credential exam. (Exam-version guidance)
Turn v4 notes and missed questions into a study checklist
Older notes can still help with concepts you have checked against v5, including commissioning roles, daylight metrics, and water terminology. Do not use them as the authority for current credit names, prerequisites, points, or thresholds. Go through old notes and give each item one of three labels:
- Keep: you checked it against v5 and it's still true.
- Revise: the idea survives but the number, name, or credit moved.
- Set aside: it's outside the v5 BD+C exam or no longer exists.
v5 requirements to check in older notes
- Platinum takes more than a points total. New Construction projects also need 5 Electrification points, at least 8 Enhanced Energy Efficiency points, 100% of site energy from renewables (any mix of tiers), and at least a 20% embodied-carbon reduction. (USGBC July 2026 BD+C Rating System — Appendix I, printed p. 174; PDF p. 181)
- Current prerequisites. These include the Climate Resilience, Human Impact, and Carbon Assessments, Operational Carbon Projection and Decarbonization Plan, and Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon. (IPp1–IPp3, printed pp. 6–10; PDF pp. 13–17; EAp1, printed p. 75; PDF p. 82; MRp2, printed p. 128; PDF p. 135)
- Energy performance uses future source energy. The Enhanced Energy Efficiency simulation path compares the performance index to a target, not cost savings. (EAc3)
- The commissioning provider's role is spelled out. The CxP is designated by the end of design development, helps develop the OPR, reviews the BOD against it, and the OPR covers the envelope. (EAp3)
- Resilience runs through the credits. Examples include management modes, thermal safety during power outages, and extreme-event planning. (EQc4)
Keep an error log as you study:
| Item or note | What I assumed | What the v5 source says | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worked example (water) | 65% was the savings | Reduction is (baseline − design) ÷ baseline = 35% | Redo the math before reading the points table |
Exam facts at a glance
| Topic | What applies now |
|---|---|
| Exam basis | LEED v5 for AP BD+C, O+M, and ID+C. AP ND and Homes remain on v4. |
| Format | 100 multiple-choice questions, one correct answer each, 2 hours. The beta adds an optional 10-minute tutorial. You can flag, skip, and change answers. |
| Question types | Recall, application, and analysis |
| Units | Imperial first, metric in parentheses |
| Scoring | Scaled from 125 to 200; 170 passes. That isn't the same as a percent correct. The v5 cut point is being set from beta data. |
| Results | Beta: held until beta results are released. Final exam: on screen, with a score report emailed within 24 hours. |
| Fee | $350, or $250 for USGBC members (full-time employees of member companies). No student discount for the AP. Eligible GI Bill beneficiaries may seek exam-fee reimbursement up to $2,000. The data-collection discount has the separate deadlines shown above. |
| Eligibility | Age 18+, with an active Green Associate or active LEED AP with specialty at registration and through exam day. Project experience is strongly recommended, not a mandatory eligibility prerequisite. You must also agree to GBCI’s policies and credential-maintenance requirements; the full eligibility rules include additional restrictions. |
| Accommodations | Request accommodations during registration and have the request processed before scheduling; use the handbook’s accommodations process. |
| Where | Prometric test center or online through ProProctor. Closed book. Standard online exams allow no breaks; test-center breaks do not stop the exam clock. |
| ID | Original, valid, unexpired government ID with a recognizable photo, signature, and issue/expiry dates; first and last name must exactly match your registration in Roman characters. Digital IDs and photocopies aren't accepted. Check the handbook’s full ID requirements for permitted secondary-ID combinations and location-specific conditions. |
| Eligibility window | Standard registration: 12 months, with one courtesy 6-month extension that must be requested before eligibility expires. The opt-in data-collection route instead has the fixed testing window above. |
| Reschedule or cancel | Free 46+ days out; $30 at 30–45 days; $60 at 4–29 days; not allowed within 3 days (fee forfeited) |
| Retakes | Pay for each attempt. After 3 unsuccessful attempts within the 12 months starting with the first failed attempt, wait 90 calendar days from the third attempt before registering again. |
Sources: Candidate Handbook, About the LEED AP with specialty exam, Exam registration and purchasing policies, Exam Results, Preparing for the LEED AP with Specialty exam.
Do you need LEED project experience?
You don't have to document it, but GBCI strongly recommends it and writes questions that assume you've done the work, like registering a project or taking part in a charrette. If you haven't worked on a LEED project, read the actual v5 credit language for each credit and practice applying it to a building you know. (About the LEED AP with specialty exam)
After you pass
Your LEED AP BD+C replaces your Green Associate. After written confirmation from GBCI, use "LEED AP BD+C" after your name, never "LEED Accredited Professional." To keep the credential, earn 30 continuing education (CE) hours every two years, and at least 6 of them must be LEED-specific to BD+C. Working on a registered LEED BD+C project earns 1 CE hour per credit you work on. (CE hours, Candidate Handbook)
Maintaining the credential also requires renewal and the applicable renewal fee, not CE hours alone. Check your reporting period and the official renewal rates and process.
Which references should you use?
Use the handbook for the exam’s scope and rules, and use the applicable rating-system requirement for a credit answer. The current BD+C reference list names the July 2026 Edition of the LEED v5 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction; USGBC’s preparation guidance directs candidates to that handbook for the most up-to-date references.
The free July 2026 BD+C Rating System PDF supplies the requirements cited in this guide. It is not the complete Reference Guide. The handbook also lists Foundations of LEED, the Guide to LEED Certification: Commercial, and the Addenda Database. Use its reference list to locate those materials and keep their purpose separate from the exam rules.
Sources
Official exam and credential sources (GBCI/USGBC):
- LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook — eligibility, format, BD+C v5 exam specifications, references (updated September 2026)
- LEED v5 exam information — beta phases, dates, discount, scoring timeline (updated October 9, 2026)
- Preparing for the LEED AP with Specialty exam — exam version, current-reference guidance, and units (updated October 9, 2026)
- About the LEED AP with specialty exam, Exam registration and purchasing policies, Exam Results, CE hours, Credential renewal
- Minimum Program Requirements, MPRs FAQ and v5 applicability, LEED v5 rating-system selection guidance
Rating-system requirements: USGBC’s LEED v5 BD+C Rating System, July 2026 Edition. Each question gives its specific requirement and printed/PDF page locator. Supporting teaching sources: U.S. DOE FEMP, Alternative Water Sources for Question 12; U.S. EPA, Understanding Global Warming Potentials for Question 18.
Exam version, format, dates, fees, eligibility, credential-maintenance rules, and the credit requirements cited on this page were last verified October 14, 2026. The schedule is an editorial planning aid, and the numerical project inputs in the exercises are hypothetical.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) or the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED and related credential names are used only to identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. Practice questions on this page are original and are not official exam questions.
By Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team