Green Associate Exam

Associate
Exam
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title
Format

Content

Exam: Format

100 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

2 hrs
Computer administered
Optional: Tutorial (10 min)
Optional: Exit survey (10 min)
Multiple versions of the exam

Question bank

Exam Scoring

Uses a scaled score

Scored out of 200
Lowest possible score: 125
Passing score: 170

Note: Scaled score allows consistent pass mark

for multiple exams.

Computer-based Exam: Functionality

Skip questions
Mark questions
Change answers
Make notes
Review answers

Exam Questions: Strategies

Focus on the exam not on anxiety you feel regarding

taking the exam!
Cover up possible answers as you read the question
If you cant answer relatively quickly (e.g. 1 minute),
come back to it later
Look for hints in other questions, and make a note
Dont be afraid to change your first guess if another
answer seems like the better option

BUT try not second-guessing all of your answers

Exam Questions: Strategies

Be careful with questions that have not in the stem

Answers that look alike pay close attention; one is
likely correct
Multiple possible answers:

Eliminate obviously wrong answers

Consider if each possible answer REALLY answers the
question re-read the question and identify the key
elements
Read the question stem with the possible answers
which sounds most true?

Exam Questions: Strategies

Always answer a question; dont leave any blank

Dont worry if you have answered b to 3 questions in
a row just select what seems to be the best answer
Be cautious of questions with absolute words (e.g.
always, never, etc.)
Review your answers (but dont second guess
everything!)
Be aware of the time but dont be afraid to take the
full 2 hours
Breathe!

Exam Content: Topics

Synergistic Opportunities and LEED Application

Process
Project Site Factors
Water Management
Project Systems and Energy Impacts
Acquisition, Installation, and Management of
Project Materials
Stakeholder Involvement in Innovation
Project Surroundings and Public Outreach

LEED Credit Categories

Sustainable Sites
Water Efficiency
Energy and Atmosphere
Materials and Resources
Indoor Environmental Quality
Including Innovation and Design
Regional Priorities

Exam Content: Sources

Green Office Guide: Integrating LEED Into Your

Leasing Process, Section 2.4 (USGBC, 2009)
LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major
Renovations Rating System (USGBC, 2009)
LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations &
Maintenance Reference Guide, Introduction
(USGBC, 2008)
LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations &
Maintenance Reference Guide, Glossary
(USGBC, 2008)

Exam Content: Sources

The Treatment by LEEDR of the Environmental Impact

of HVAC Refrigerants (LEED Technical and Scientific
Advisory Committee, 2004)
Guidance on Innovation and Design (ID) Credits (USGBC,
2004)
Credit Interpretation Rulings ([Link])
Guide to Purchasing Green Power (U.S. EPA, 2004)
LEED 2009 Operations & Maintenance Rating System
(USGBC, 2009)
Construction Carbon Calculator
([Link])
Green Building & LEED Core Concepts Guide, 1st Edition

Any questions?

Green Associate Exam:

and taking the
ClickRegistering
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exam

Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)

[Link]

Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)

[Link]

Eligibility Requirements

Exam Process

[Link]

Booking your exam

[Link]

Booking your exam

Receive eligibility number from GBCI

[Link]/gbci

Enter eligibility number

Select: testing location, date, time & payment option
Confirmation number emailed
1 week prior to exam: Visit Prometric website &
confirm information

Make sure the name on your identification is the same

as the name you use to register with the GBCI and for
the exam

Day of your exam

Valid photo ID required!!

Must match name you used to register

30 min. advance of exam time

Small locker provided
No speaking during exam
Cancellations within 30 days

Within 30 days: $50 cancellation fee

Studying: Next Steps

Read studio4 Study Guide

Study glossary / terminology

Review workshop information (PPT booklet & your

notes)
Review primary reference materials & complete
practice exam (included on your USB key)
Flashcards

Extra flashcards are available for purchase on CaGBC

website

Reflect & Make

Notes
Any questions?

Practice
Questions
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United States Green

Building
Council, &
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Green Building
Certification Institute

A building may achieve LEED certification only if

(choose three):
a. It has been pre-certified
b. It does not cover more than 50% of the
site
c. It meets the Energy Prerequisite
d. It has a realistic marketing plan in place
e. It has been vetted through the GBCI thirdparty review process

The application fee for a LEED project is based

on:
a. The site boundaries
b. The total energy savings anticipated
c. A formula that includes density and
anticipated carbon footprint
d. The projects square footage
e. Construction-related credits

Outcomes related to the LEED Existing

Buildings: Operations and Maintenance
system include (choose two):

a. Reducing the operating cost of new

buildings

b. Installation of repeat air change systems

c. Healthier buildings

d. The creation of a baseline data set for

future research

The best long term investment approach

when considering how to build a building
includes looking at (choose three):

a. A summary of construction costs

b. A summary of land costs

c. A cost analysis of building systems over

the lifetime of the building

d. A review of early operating costs

Click to Sustainable
edit slide title Sites (SS)

The Heat Island Effect can be mitigated by

(choose two):
a. Using pavers on parking lots
b. Planting trees, shrubs and plants on the
roof of a building
c. Developing the site to be consistent with
the ASTM E1903-97 Phase II Environmental
Assessment
d. Using a paving product with a high SRI

SRI stands for:

a. Submetering Reconstructed Indexes
b. Solar Radiation Index
c. Solid Rock Interface
d. Solar Reflectance Index
e. Standard Rate Integration

What strategies should the design team

consider to reduce the number of parking
spaces? (choose two):
a. Provide a carpooling incentive to building
occupants
b. Install alternative-fuel refuelling stations
c. Provide secure bicycle storage within the
building
d. Provide high efficiency hybrid or

In order to qualify for a LEED Sustainable

Sites credit under LEED NC, your site must
not (choose two):

a. Disturb the site beyond the perimeter of

the building

b. Exceed the floor area ratio for buildings in

the floodplain

c. Be built on prime farmland

d. Be more than 200m from public

(WE)
Click toWater
edit slideEfficiency
title

Waste water from which type of fixture is

always considered blackwater?
a. Kitchen sink
b. Laundry washer
c. Bath tub/shower
d. Toilet
e. Composting toilet

What is evapotranspiration?
a. The evaporation of water from mechanical
components such as cooling towers
b. The amount of condensation found on
inside windows
c. The amount of water that evaporates off of
stone surfaces in landscaped areas
d. The amount of water that evaporates from
plant and soil surfaces

Which of the following might help reduce

process water use?
a. Disconnect from the municipal water
supply to reduce municipal water use
b. Choose high efficiency stoves and
refrigerators for all common areas
c. Use graywater in the buildings
cooling towers and base metering systems

Energy and Atmosphere

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(EA)

Renewable energy can be sourced from (choose

three):
a. Forestry biomass
b. The sun
c. Crushed wood chips
d. The Pacific Ocean
e. Clean coal deposits

The commissioning agent (CxA) is

accountable to:

a. The design team

b. The construction team

c. The building owner

d. Local government agencies

LEED recognizes and encourages excellence in

operational energy performance through the
use of which of the following project strategies
(choose two):
a. Water efficient fixtures
b. Building commissioning
c. Alternative transportation
d. Site selection
e. Waste management

What strategy can a design team implement to

reduce energy demand in a LEED home?
a. Reduce building size
b. Place light switches at non-standard
heights
c. Install low-flow toilets
d. Increase ventilation

Materials and Resources

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(MR)

The intent behind the Regional Materials credit

is to:
a. Reduce the need for exploitation of
indigenous resources
b. Increase the demand for building materials
extracted and manufactured within the region
c. Reduce transportation costs for materials
for locally sourced materials
d. Increase awareness of local wood products

Under LEED, regional materials must be

extracted and manufactured:
a. In accordance with EPAct 1992
b. Within 500 miles of the project site
c. Within 800 miles of the project site
d. In accordance with ASHRAE 90.1 2007

Chain of Custody is a tracking procedure that

follows a product from harvesting through
(choose three):
a. Processing
b. Selling
c. Recycling
d. Distribution
e. Manufacturing

A project is using salvaged materials from a

construction site three city blocks from its
own site. These materials are considered
(choose two):
a. Construction waste diverted from landfill
b. Materials reuse
c. Regional materials
d. Recycled content
e. Building reuse

Which LEED rating system recognizes waste

reduction through recycling on-going
consumables?
a. New Construction and Major Renovation
b. Commercial Interiors
c. Core and Shell
d. Homes
e. Existing Buildings: Operations &
Maintenance

Indoor Environmental
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Quality (IEQ)

In LEED, controllability of systems refers to the

percentage of occupants who have direct
control over (choose three):
a. Lighting
b. Shade on the south side of the building
c. Thermal comfort
d. Airflow
e. Views outside

Ventilation rates must be designed to which

standard?
a. ASHRAE 55
b. ASHRAE 62.1
c. ASHRAE 90.1
d. SMACNA
e. EPA

VOC limits are set by what organizations

(choose two):
a. ASHRAE
b. EPA
c. Green Seal
d. SMACNA
e. SCAQMD

Which of the following rating systems awards

credit for green cleaning programs?
a. NC
b. CI
c. CS
d. Homes
e. EB:O&M

Innovation in Design (ID)

&
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Regional Priorities (RP)

Which of the following would qualify your project for

exemplary performance in a LEED program (choose
two):

a. Diverting more than 99% of construction waste

b. Using 800 sq ft of salvaged wood flooring in your

new 10,000 sq ft building

c. Hiring two LEED APs with speciality

d. Reducing indoor water use by more than double

the regular credit requirement

e. Installing meters on all systems that can be

electronically monitored

A listing of regional priority credits can be found:

a. In the relevant reference guide
b. By calling USGBC
c. By sending an email to the GBCI
d. By visiting the USGBC website

Practice
Questions
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title

EPAct 1992 sets standards for:

a) Ventilation rates
b) Building simulations
c) Water use reductions
d) Outdoor lighting densities

Match!
Basis of Design
(BOD)
Owners Project
Requirements
(OPR)
Energy Simulation

A comparison of a baseline
standard (e.g. ASHRAE 90.12007) and the proposed
design
A written document that
outlines the owners
requirements for the
project
Design information necessary

The standard for activity related to construction

activity pollution prevention is:
a) 2003 Environmental Protection Agency
Construction General Permit
b) IESNA General Construction Permit
c) ASHRAE 62.1-2003: Construction Pollution
Prevention
d) VOC Reduction Permit

Toilet and urinal baselines use (gpf or gpm)?

Gallons per flush (gpf)
What does the acronym gpm stand for?
Gallons per minute (e.g. showers)
Process water is defined as:
Water used for building systems, industrial
processes and operational processes

Renewable Energy
Accepted under LEED?
Photovoltaics

Not Accepted under LEED?

Forestry biomass

Combustion of municipal
solid waste

Geothermal systems
Geoexchange systems
Biofuels (untreated wood
waste, crops, etc.)
Wind (e.g. wind turbines)
Water based (e.g. tidal
wave)
Passive solar strategies
Solar thermal
Wood coated with paints or
other materials

r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r

To help reduce/minimize heat island effect, you

should use paving materials with a (higher or
lower) SRI?
Higher
The definition of an adapted plant is:
A plant that is not native to a particular
region, but that requires minimal irrigation,
fertilization, etc.

The 100 year floodplain is set by:

Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA)
FEMA defines the 100 year flood as:
The flood that has a one-percent chance
of being equaled or exceeded in any given
year

Match terms & definitions

The definition of
albedo is:
The definition of
emissivity is:
The definition of solar
reflectance index
(SRI) is:

Relative ability of a
surface to emit energy
by radiation
Measurement of
materials ability to
reject solar heat, as
shown by a small
temperature rise
Is the ability of a surface

This EPA and US Department of Energy program

rates energy efficient equipment:
Energy Star
This landmark international agreement was
created in 1987 to phase out compounds that
deplete the ozone layer:
Montreal Protocol

Structural strategies related to erosion and

sedimentation control include (select 3):
a) mulching
b) earth dikes
c) temporary seeding
d) silt fences
e) sediment traps
f) permanent seeding

The baseline for

urinals is:

The baseline for

toilets is:

.5 gpf
1 gpf
1.6 gpf
2.3 gpf
5 gpf

.5 gpf
1 gpf
1.6 gpf
2.3 gpf
5 gpf

If you have 2 LEED APs working as principal

members of your project team you can earn 2
Innovation and Design points.
True
False
Regardless of how many LEED APs are part of your
project team, you can only earn 1 ID point.

The standard for measurement and verification

of building systems must be consistent with
standards set by:
a) ASHRAE
b) IESNA
c) SMACNA
d) IPMVP
e) UPC

ASHRAE = American Society of Heating,

Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
IESNA = Illuminating Engineering Society of
North America
SMACNA = Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning
Contractors National Association
IPMVP = International Performance
Measurement & Verification Protocol
UPC = Uniform Plumbing Code

What functions does LEED online perform?

Registering for projects, access to LLT,
submission of CIRs, uploading of submissions
LEFE stands for:
Low-emitting/fuel-efficient vehicles
Heat island effect is:
An increase in temperature due to

If you re-use a buildings existing walls, floors

and roof, this may count towards which LEED
credit:
a) Material reuse
b) Recycled materials
c) Building reuse

You can earn exemplary performance for all of

the credits in LEED.
True
False
Exemplary credits can only be earned for certain
credits. Exemplary performance is earned under the
Innovation in Design/Operations credit category and
can be achieved by doubling credit requirements or

The acronym RECs stands for:

Renewable Energy Certificates
RECs are associated with this program:
Green-e (Centre for Resources Solutions)
This refrigerant has the most ozone depleting
potential:
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Material reuse requires that materials be

accessed on-site (e.g. within an existing
building on-site).
True
False
You are allowed to access both on and off-site
materials for material reuse

Match!
Product type

Standards

Adhesives and sealants

SCAQMD

Paints and coatings

Green Label Plus &

Floorscore

Flooring systems (e.g.

carpets, linoleum,
etc.)

Greenseal & SCAQMD

SCAQMD = South Coast Air Quality Management District

Rapidly renewable materials are regenerated

within:
a) 1 year
b) 5 years
c) 7 years
d) 10 years

Under LEED, the following MUST be

commissioned (select 4):
a) HVAC system
b) Lighting/daylight systems
c) Building envelope
d) Water using systems
e) Domestic hot water systems
f) Renewable energy systems

A brownfield is designated by which of the

following (select 2):
a) Environmental Protection Agency
b) ASTM E-1903 Phase II Environmental
Assessment
c) Property owner
d) State or local government agencies
e) UPC 33: Contaminated site rehabilitation

The 3 components of the triple bottom line are:

People, planet and profit
The USGBCs rating systems address: Design,
construction and ...
operations
The acronym CIR stands for:
Credit Interpretation Request

Match terms & definitions

LEED project
boundary

The project site submitted for

certification

Building density

Area of the building perimeter

(not including parking lots,
open space, etc.)

Site area/property
area
Building footprint

All areas impacted by

development (building,
roads, parking lots, etc.)

Development
footprint

Floor area divided by total area

Is flyash considered a pre or post-consumer

material?
Pre-consumer material (the material has
not gone into the consumer stream)
The opposite of pre-consumer material is:
Post-consumer material (have made it
into the consumer market e.g. Newspaper,
pop cans, etc.)

The acronym VOCs stands for:

a) Versions of organic compounds
b) Volatile organic compounds
c) Ventilation of organic compounds
d) Volatile odorous concrete

To achieve building reuse under LEED, you must

reuse the materials for their original purpose.
True
False
Materials must be reused for their original
purpose under building reuse (e.g. a door must
be used as a door). If a door is used as a table,
consider the material reuse credit instead.

Americans spend an average of X amount of time

indoors?
a) 50%
b) 65%
c) 75%
d) 80%
e) 90%

The size of a recycling room for buildings seeking

LEED certification is determined by:
a) USGBC
b) GBCI
c) Owner and designer
d) SCAQMD
Note: Although no specific size is required, guidelines are
provided to assist the owner and designer in determining

Agrifibre is a panel made from recovered

agricultural waste fibre.
True
False
This may include straw, sunflower husks, walnut
shells, etc.

Match!
The standard for:
Ventilation for indoor air
quality (rates & IAQ
levels):
Thermal comfort design:
Air filters:
Natural ventilation:
IAQ construction

MERV (Minimum Efficiency

Reporting Value)
SMACNA (Sheet Metal and
Air Conditioning
Contractors National
Association)
ASHRAE 62.1
CIBSE (Chartered Institute
of Building Service

Any questions?