Free Practice Questions for USGBC LEED-AP-BD+C Exam

To be eligible for LEED certification, a project must:

Be a permanent structure on existing land (floating structures like houseboats do not qualify).

Have a defined site boundary (mobile homes do not meet this requirement unless they are permanently installed).

Have a minimum floor area of 250 square feet (23.2 m²) (so a 900 ft² office qualifies).

Prefabricated buildings (Option A) may qualify if they are permanently installed.

Houseboats (Option C) and mobile homes (Option D) are not eligible unless permanently located.

The new office building (Option B) meets all LEED requirements and is the correct answer.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)

The rating system that is being used if all of the credits below have been submitted towards certification is Building Design and Construction: Hospitality. This is because the Location and Transportation Credit, Reduced Parking Footprint and the Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Acoustic Performance are only available for the Hospitality rating system among the four options. The other two credits are common for all the rating systems. References: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, p. 301; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, p. 401; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, p. 411; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, p. 421

Water Efficiency (WE) Prerequisite: Indoor Water Use Reduction requires at least 20% savings over the baseline.

The project initially achieves 18% savings, which does not meet the prerequisite.

With the rainwater harvesting system, the total savings reach 28%, exceeding the minimum 20% prerequisite.

A 28% total reduction qualifies the project for two points under Water Efficiency (WE) Credit: Indoor Water Use Reduction.

The type of metering does not impact the points awarded for this credit.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)

Data centers is the only LEED BD+C rating system that mandates a preliminary LEED meeting with the principal members of the project team to create a LEED action plan that includes the anticipated certification tier, targeted credits and parties responsible for each credit. This is because data centers have unique design and operational characteristics that require a more integrative and customized approach to achieve LEED certification. The preliminary LEED meeting is intended to facilitate early goal setting, alignment, and communication among the project team members12. References: LEED BD+C Reference Guide, Data Centers, page 91; LEED v4.1 BD+C: Data Centers

The commissioning process is a quality assurance process that ensures that the building systems perform as intended, based on the owner’s project requirements and the design team’s basis of design. The commissioning process can provide value to the project by improving energy efficiency, reducing operation and maintenance costs, enhancing occupant comfort and satisfaction, and reducing risks and liabilities123. References: LEED BD+C Reference Guide, Energy and Atmosphere, page 631; LEED BD+C Reference Guide, Enhanced Commissioning, page 661; LEED Building Commissioning: Why You Should Get Accredited

To achieve the Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Credit: Demand Response, a project must create a comprehensive plan for responding to a demand response event (D). This includes a strategy for reducing electrical load when a demand response event is triggered by the utility provider. The plan should outline actions for shifting or reducing energy use during peak demand times to support grid stability. Permanent reductions (A), submetering (B), and specific load shift reductions (C) are not required for this credit.

Detailed Explanation:

Projects located in areas with significant cultural value can attempt the Priority Designation option under LEED Location and Transportation credits. This designation rewards projects in high-priority locations, such as cultural heritage sites, promoting development that respects and preserves the historical and cultural significance of the area.

A simple box energy analysis, also known as a "mass model" analysis, is performed during the early design phases, typically before the completion of the schematic design. This assessment involves creating a simplified model of the proposed building to evaluate its potential energy performance. The goal is to explore various design options and strategies that can reduce energy consumption, such as building orientation, envelope characteristics, and massing. Conducting this analysis early allows the design team to make informed decisions that enhance energy efficiency from the outset. ​

The Water Efficiency (WE) Prerequisite: Outdoor Water Use Reduction requires projects to reduce landscape water use by at least 30% over a baseline.

The baseline is calculated over the driest three-month period of the year, ensuring that water savings are measured during peak irrigation demand.

Strategies include xeriscaping, high-efficiency irrigation systems, and rainwater collection.

(Source: Official LEED BD+C Reference Manual)