I am considering getting my LEED Certification for AP. For those of you who are, have you found it to be useful? How challenging was the exam?
Thanks for your input
Bruce
I am considering getting my LEED Certification for AP. For those of you who are, have you found it to be useful? How challenging was the exam?
Thanks for your input
Bruce
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Replies
I am not a LEED AP. I have the NC 2.2 and hope to have my AP by the end of the year. Probably will not get there 'till spring.
I have taken some of the samle exams and gone through the reference guide once. Some rote memorization but nothing too difficult. You will have to study and review.
Useful? My experience in the architectural and engineering side of the commercial/institutional construction industry is that very few actually use it. For licesned architects and engineers, LEED AP is like a pair of pants: noticeable only by its absence.
As a sytem engineer for an HVAC manufacturer, I frequently bid on jobs that are expected to be LEED. Knowing what the requirements are makes sorting through the specifications much easier. What I have seen typically is a generic statement about the job being LEED certified, but no real requirements in the schedules or specifications. This is because the specifying engineers are new to the process and haven't learned how much information is required and/or its just pure laziness. Knowing it as well or better thaan they do helps me a great deal, even without the cert.
I'm a LEED AP as of about a month ago. My main career is as a commerical superintendent so I took the NC exam.
The difficulty of the exam is directly related to how well you can memorize and retain facts, figures and data. This exam is a strict measure of your ability to memorize. If you have a hard time retaining info then it could be difficult for you, otherwise should be no problem. For me personally, it wasn't too bad - could have been easier but I didn't put much effort into it either. My exam was first thing on a Monday morning, and about 6pm the night prior I started reading the book. I read through it once, took a practice exam, read again, practice exam, read again, practice exam. I think I did 3 or 4 cycles of that - got a couple hours sleep then took the exam. Funny thing was I never did better that the high 60's on the practice exams, so I was a little worried, but I an 84 or so on the one that counted.
As for usefulness, I think that depends. I think the most useful thing is having owners take note of the credential behind your name. I think it will help sell you. And if you are actually working on a LEED project, then the project will get 1-pt towards certification for having a LEED AP on the job.
I honestly only took the exam because my company more or less made me. In real life situations, as long as you have the v2.2 book - thats all the reference or information you need to know in order to certify a building.
Shawn
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Checker Contracting - SE Michigan
I've been a LEED AP since 2003, when the test was much easier....lol.
The test now is much more challenging, based on what I hear from all the guys at our company that have taken the test recently. The key, even when I took it, is that you really have to want to get certified- this isn't something that you just study for a few hours and then go take the test. There's alot of facts/figures, but you've also got to understand the underlying reasons for and relationships between the various parts of the LEED program to do well.
Is is "useful"? I guess that depends on what line of work you're in and what you're looking to use the accreditation for. On most larger projects there's typically several AP's involved between the engineer and the architect, so it makes it easier to understand what they're trying to accomplish. On smaller projects you may end up serving a larger role in the certificaton process, so having the knowledge that's necessary to pass the test will come in very handy.
Thanks for all the replies guys.
I view the LEED AP as a way of differentiating my company from other companies in this day and age of Greenwashing. I feel it is important to legitimize whatever green building effort I do pursue and it may perhaps give a leg up in future projects.
Austin Texas is pushing very hard toward all building being green and while the concept is good, I am a bit cynical about much of it and view LEED as dominant force in the the whole green building realm. As such I am cyphering which baskets to put my eggs into.
Underlying all the above diatribe is that I do feel strongly about building great homes and structures, green being part of great, and it seems the USGBC LEED program is a leader.
Bruce