To achieve the professional designation of USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes from the USGBC, candidates must clear the AP Homes Exam with the minimum cut-off score. For those who wish to pass the USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes certification exam with good percentage, please take a look at the following reference document detailing what should be included in USGBC LEED AP Homes Exam preparation.
The USGBC AP Homes Exam Summary, Body of Knowledge (BOK), Sample Question Bank and Practice Exam provide the basis for the real Certified LEED Accredited Professional Homes (AP Homes) exam. We have designed these resources to help you get ready to take USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes (AP Homes) exam. If you have made the decision to become a certified professional, we suggest you take authorized training and prepare with our online premium USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes Practice Exam to achieve the best result.
USGBC AP Homes Exam Summary:
| Exam Name | USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes |
| Exam Code | AP Homes |
| Exam Fee |
Combined exam: $550 ($400 for USGBC members) Specialty only: $350 ($250 for USGBC members) |
| Exam Duration | 120 Minutes |
| Number of Questions | 100 |
| Passing Score | 170 out of 200 |
| Format | Multiple Choice Questions |
| Schedule Exam | USGBC |
| Sample Questions | USGBC LEED AP Homes Exam Sample Questions and Answers |
| Practice Exam | Certified LEED Accredited Professional Homes (AP Homes) Practice Test |
USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes Syllabus Topics:
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| LEED Process (9 Questions) |
- LEED verification process
- Roles and responsibilities of verification team (e.g., green rater; energy rater; quality assurance designee) - Certification submittal requirements (e.g., to GBCI) - Project eligibility (e.g., which rating system to use—Homes, Midrise or New Construction) - In-field verification requirements (e.g., performance test; visual inspection) - Resources for LEED Interpretations and Regional Priority Credits - LEED system synergies (e.g., energy and EQ; waste management) - Project boundary; LEED boundary; property boundary - Prerequisites and/or minimum program requirements for LEED certification - LEED Online - Integrative process (e.g., communication between project team and verification team throughout design and construction; communication of LEED goals and requirements to multidisciplinary team members including trade contractors) |
| Location and Transportation (9 Questions) |
- Floodplain avoidance (e.g., general requirements for new construction and renovation)
- LEED ND as a pathway in the Location and Transportation category - Site selection definitions:
- Compact development (e.g., metrics associated with compact development)
- Community resources (e.g., distance and measurement):
- Access to transit (e.g., distance to and frequency of trips)
|
| Sustainable Sites (9 Questions) |
- Construction activity pollution prevention (e.g., erosion control; storm water management; air pollution prevention)
- Invasive plants (e.g., intent and prerequisite status) - Heat island reduction (e.g., shading use; nonabsorptive materials) - Rainwater management (e.g., examples of low impact development techniques) - Nontoxic pest control (e.g., how to achieve credit) |
| Water Efficiency (10 Questions) |
- Types and quality of water (e.g., potable; graywater; blackwater; stormwater)
- Indoor and total water use:
- Outdoor water use (e.g., general requirements: decrease turf grass and increase native plants)
- Irrigation demand (e.g., evapotranspiration; landscape coefficient; rainwater harvesting and storage; graywater reuse; municipal recycled water systems) |
| Energy and Atmosphere (17 Questions) |
- Energy performance policies (e.g., ENERGY STAR thermal bypass checklist; HERS Index; building orientation)
- Building components (e.g., required systems; building envelope; HVAC; service water heating; power; lighting; lighting power density; receptacle load; insulation; windows, SIP and ICF construction techniques) - On-site renewable energy (e.g., wind; solar; passive solar; geothermal; biomass; low impact hydro; biogas) - Third-party relationships/requirements (e.g., prescriptive and performance paths for energy efficiency; LEED for Homes Green Rater; HERS Rater; energy testing and on-site verification requirements) - Third-party alternate rating systems (e.g., HERS or alternative compliance path) - Energy performance measurement (e.g., ENERGY STAR Thermal Bypass Inspection Checklist; ACCA Manual J; ACCA Manual D)
- Energy tradeoffs (e.g., integration and identification of tradeoffs in energy savings between mechanical, electrical, and building components; lighting design that considers energy use reduction and lighting power density relationship with daylighting)
- Energy usage (e.g., building schedules; occupancy and off-hours; indoor/outdoor air usage rates and impact on energy performance) - Minimum energy performance (e.g., general requirements to meet ENERGY STAR for Homes; what projects need to be commissioned; processes) - Energy metering (e.g., metering requirements for single and multifamily projects) - Education of homeowner, tenant or building manager (e.g., content and distribution requirements for operations and maintenance manual; walk through requirements) - Annual energy use (e.g., which option includes the home size adjuster; definition of LEED energy budget; minimum energy requirements for midrise; conditioned floor area of ENERGY STAR v3 reference home by number of bedrooms) - Efficient hot water distribution system (e.g., multifamily central circulation system; performance testing; insulation) - Advance utility tracking (e.g., options for tracking and reporting energy and water use) - Active solar-ready design (e.g., photovoltaic-ready design; solar direct hot water-ready design) - Home size adjuster as a prerequisite for EA prescriptive path - Building orientation for passive solar (e.g., basic credit requirements) - Air infiltration (e.g., who performs the test and what is the test) - Envelop insulation (e.g., R-value; 2012 International Energy Conservation Code) - Windows (e.g., view factor; SHGC; window area and stringency) - Space heating and cooling equipment (e.g., required duct leakage rate) - Heating and cooling distribution systems (e.g., ductwork in conditioned space; ductwork in unconditioned space; hydronic systems; who conducts the duct leakage test) - Efficient domestic hot water equipment (e.g., list of qualifying systems) - Lighting (e.g., lighting power density; dark skies) - High-efficiency appliances (e.g., types that qualify for credit) - Renewable energy (e.g., certificate retention; maximum points allowed) |
| Materials and Resources (10 Questions) |
- Building reuse (e.g., gut rehabilitation; material reuse)
- Material acquisition (e.g., certified wood; recycled content; detailed framing documents and cut list/lumber order) - Certified tropical wood (e.g., definition) - Durability management (e.g., requirements of ENERGY STAR for Homes v3 check list; indoor moisture control measures) - Durability management verification (e.g., requirements) - Environmentally preferable products (e.g., recycled materials pre-consumer; post- consumer; collection requirements; commingled and locally—regionally—harvested and manufactured materials) - Construction waste management (e.g., accounted by weight or volume; reduction strategies; baseline for LEED reference home) - Material-efficient framing (e.g., applicable strategies; thresholds) |
| Indoor Environmental Quality (13 Questions) |
- Minimum ventilation requirement (e.g., indoor air quality; natural ventilation; mixed mode ventilation)
- Combustion venting general requirements (e.g., no unvented combustion appliances; CO monitors; fireplace measures) - Garage pollutant protection (e.g., seal, weather-strip and install carbon monoxide detectors; EPA Indoor AirPLUS Label) - Radon-resistant construction (e.g., EPA radon zone 1; radon resistant construction techniques; requirements for renovation of existing building) - Air-filtering (e.g., where filters are required) - Environmental tobacco smoke (e.g., no smoking option; multifamily - no smoking requirements) - Compartmentalization (e.g., intent; strategies; verification of) - Enhanced ventilation (e.g., strategies that qualify for enhanced ventilation controls; systems that qualify for enhanced whole-house ventilation) - Contaminant control (e.g., strategies including walk off mats; shoe removal and storage; preoccupancy flush or EPA Indoor AirPLUS label and air testing - max contaminant concentrations) - Balancing of heating and cooling distribution systems (e.g., basic requirements of Case 1 - Forced-Air Systems; Options 1-3; Case 2 - Radiative Systems, Options 1 and 2 - Combustion venting (e.g., EPA certified equipment or no fireplaces or woodstoves) - Enhanced garage pollutant protection (e.g., credit awarded for either exhaust fan or no garage/ detached garage) - Low-emitting Materials (e.g., adhesives and sealants; paints; coatings; carpet; composite wood and agrifiber products; VOC’s; urea-formaldehyde, California standard 1350) |
| Innovation (5 Questions) |
- Preliminary rating (e.g., who needs to be at the preliminary rating, prerequisite status in rating system and goals of preliminary rating)
- Innovation (e.g., Innovation, Pilot, and Exemplary Performance strategies) - LEED AP (e.g., specialty appropriate for the project) |
| Regional Priority (3 Questions) | - Regional Priority Credits - What are they and how to find them. |
Both USGBC and veterans who’ve earned multiple certifications maintain that the best preparation for a USGBC AP Homes professional certification exam is practical experience, hands-on training and practice exam. This is the most effective way to gain in-depth understanding of USGBC LEED AP Homes concepts. When you understand techniques, it helps you retain USGBC LEED Accredited Professional Homes knowledge and recall that when needed.