This is part of a series of articles on the experience of giving the LEED AP BD+C examination. Our first article looked at why the LEED AP BD+C exam could prove difficult to crack. The following 2 weeks elaborated on 11 Essential ‘Need -to-Knows’ before LEED AP BD+C Prep (Part 1, Part 2). We then looked at LEED AP BD+C: Resources and Materials (Free). This was followed by a list of Paid Resources and Materials (Study Resources) available online, in case you felt the need for them after referring to the free items. This week, we continue the list of Paid items – Practice Questions. We are listing standalone practice question sets, along with study packages that include questions.
As mentioned in earlier posts – If you have prior experience with LEED projects (or some sort of Sustainability background), then things become relatively easier. If not, then you might feel the need to use a guided study course, or other paid materials. Today’s article addresses this scenario.
Note: We have tested and used some of following resources and can tell you what we found useful. There are others that we feel could be good based on the credibility of the source (these have not been tried by us, so the decision to use them would lie with you). Our aim is to create an exhaustive list of materials, so that the Menu is in front of you to make your decision (our articles are not endorsing any online courses/ question banks. However, we would like to give due credit to pages that our team found useful while attempting the exam. Ultimately, it is totally up to your choice and discretion whether to subscribe to them). We have mentioned Sources Reviews, Prices (any offers), Subscription time, Important Links and Material Inclusions. All prices are rounded off to the nearest 5 or 10.
- Study Resources
- Green Building Academy
- GBES
- GreenCE
- USGBC
- GBRI
- Everblue
- American Technical Publishers
- Practice Questions
- LEED Project Experience
- GBES
- GBRI
- Direct Classes/ In-Person Training
- GBRI
- Everblue
2) Practice Questions
(a) GBES
Source Review | USGBC Education Partner (List of other Education Partners), Tested their Question Bank – Good quality experience
We tested the $80, 500-practice questions. This was a decision towards the later stages of exam preparation. We felt there was need to attempt at least 5 seriously timed exams before giving the final paper. The course provides 5 timed exams of 100 questions each. You also have the option of shuffling the questions and attempting them chapter-wise. Here is a video by GBES showing a demo of the practice tests. Their explanations are very elaborate and useful. You can also mail and ask them doubts. They respond quite quickly.
(i) $45 | Practice Test – LEED AP BD+C
Inclusions | Exam Simulator with 100 questions in 2 hours.
(ii) $80 | LEED AP BD+C v4 Practice Tests for BD+C Exam Prep | 120-day access
Inclusions | Exam Simulator with 500 practice questions
(iii) $100 | LEED AP BD+C Silver Pack | 120-day access
Inclusions | Exam Simulator with 500 practice questions, 200 flashcards
(iv) $230 | LEED AP BD+C Platinum Pack | 120 day access
Inclusions | Exam Simulator with 500 practice questions, 200 flashcards, Study Guide, 11 On-Demand Webinars, 12 Study Sheets
Offers | The $40 GBES 100 question exam, is available free with the annual subscription to Education@USGBC. Student and Faculty Discounts are available on the GBES website.
(b) GreenCE
Source Review | Tested Continuing Education videos (good quality Content and Experience), LEED Green Associate Course available for Free here (Chapter-wise videos and 3 practice exams could be viewed to gauge for quality)
(i) $30 | GREEN BUILDING PRINCIPLES & LEED v4 Simulated Exams
Inclusions | Exam Simulator with 100 questions for LEED AP BD+C (along with 400 questions for LEED Green Associate)
(ii) $230 | Green Building and the LEED AP BD+C Exam
Inclusions | Study Guide, 90+ LEED practice questions, Study Sheets, Certificate of Completion for 8 AIA HSW Hours, Tips, Study Methods, Hands-on exercises, Slideshow format with Audio
(c) Green Building Academy
Source Review | Tested | Proved great for LEED Green Associate, Reasonable Price, Accessible and helpful staff
Their question bank for LEED AP BD+C could be expanded, so that it is as extensive as what they provide for LEED Green Associate. However, their team is super accessible when you have doubts, and they go out of their way to clarify them for you. (even if they must call back, or WhatsApp!)
(i) $75 | LEED v4 AP BD+C Made Easy | 6 months subscription (3 months initial subscription, can be renewed for another 3 months at no cost)
Inclusions | Detailed videos chapter-wise (including explanations for calculations), downloadable PDFs, Questions, Forum
(d) GBRI
Source Review | USGBC Education Partner (List of other Education Partners)
(i) $45 | LEED v4 BD+C Mock Exam – 30 Questions
Inclusions | Mock test with 30 Questions, Explanations
(ii) $70 | LEED AP Practice Tests
Inclusions | 3 Practice Tests with 100 questions each, Explanations, Review of all questions, including correct answers.
(iii) $250 | All-Inclusive LEED v4 BD+C Exam Preparation
Inclusions | 500+ Practice test questions, 2 simulated Mock exams, On-Demand classroom sessions, Study Guides, Flashcards, Memory Charts
Offers | Free LEED Green Associate Package, Money Back Guarantee with some conditions
(e) Everblue
Source Review | USGBC Education Partner (List of other Education Partners)
(i) $50 | LEED AP Building Design + Construction v4 Practice Questions
Inclusions | 200 Digital Practice Questions
(ii) $200 | LEED AP BD+C v4 Exam Prep (On-demand)
Inclusions | 3 Study Sections and 2 Practice Exams (100 questions each), 8.5 AIA LU/HSWs
(iii) $500 | LEED Accredited Professional Building Design + Construction – Start NOW! Online | Access to course materials for 6 months
Inclusions | Self-guided content, on demand access to 8-hour course presentation, access to instructors for follow-up questions, 300+ practice questions, LEED Credit Reference Sheets
(f) American Technical Publishers
Source Review | USGBC Education Partner (List of other Education Partners)
(i) $105 | LEED AP® BD+C Exam Preparation Guide ATPWebBook™ | Access for 5 years (needs Internet, not downloadable)
Inclusions | 450-page Study Guide (concise text and detailed, full-color illustrations and photos), 170+ Checkpoint Questions for continual assessment, Knowledge Retention and Calculation exercises, 100-Question Practice Exam, Illustrated Glossary, Key Terms list, Factoids, Appendix
(ii) $320 | Study Bundle: LEED BD+C Study Guide and BD+C Reference Guide (V4)
Inclusions | Hard copy: LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction + 450-page Study Guide(concise text and detailed, full-color illustrations and photos), 170+ Checkpoint Questions for continual assessment, Knowledge Retention and Calculation exercises, 100-Question Practice Exam, Appendix | Online Learner Resources (ATPeResources.com): Quick Quizzes, Illustrated Glossary, Flashcards, Media library with 6 videos and animations
Offers | School Price for 5 or more ATPWebBooks, Member Price for Study Bundle $270
That’s all for today! Since this list of Resources and Materials is quite long, we have broken it into 3 parts. The next part will cover sources for LEED Project Experience and Direct Classes/ In-Person training.
Hope this was helpful. If you have suggestions for other topics or questions related to this content, kindly let us know in the comments.
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Thank you for reading!
The Architecture Gazette 