LEED AP Building Design and Construction (BD+C) Practice Test
Build your confidence for LEED AP Building Design and Construction (BD+C). Practice the concepts, understand the answers, and strengthen your knowledge one question at a time.
Try a sample questionCertification exam
100
Exam questions
2 hours
Time Limit
Your practice
140
Practice questions
2 hours 20 minutes
Practice Time
The bar to clear
170
Published passing score for this certification.
Official objectives from USGBCUSGBC140 practice questions
Exam overview and details
The LEED AP Building Design + Construction (BD+C) credential is the premier professional certification for individuals specializing in the design and construction of high-performance, sustainable commercial and institutional buildings. Administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), this credential validates advanced technical knowledge and expertise in applying LEED strategies to new construction and major renovation projects. It demonstrates a deep understanding of the LEED v4.1 BD+C rating system, including integrative design processes, energy modeling, material life-cycle assessment, and indoor environmental quality optimization. Certification holders are recognized as leaders who can guide project teams through complex sustainability challenges, optimize building performance, and ensure projects achieve targeted LEED certification levels. This credential is essential for architects, engineers, construction managers, and sustainability consultants seeking to lead the market in green building delivery.
Sample Questions
Choose an answer and explore the explanation to see how practice works.
Sustainable Sites
A 220,000 sf data center with high process loads and packaged rooftop units is pursuing LEED AP BD+C-aligned certification strategy under current LEED practice. A hospital counts a smoking patio next to ambulance idling as a patient respite area. What should the LEED AP challenge?
Indoor Environmental Quality
A 14-story speculative core and shell office tower in climate zone 4A is pursuing LEED AP BD+C-aligned certification strategy under current LEED practice. A copy room with high-volume printers exhausts into an open office return plenum. What strategy is strongest?
Indoor Environmental Quality
A zero-lot-line mixed-use building above structured parking is pursuing LEED AP BD+C-aligned certification strategy under current LEED practice. The owner permits smoking on a roof terrace beside outdoor air intakes and operable windows. What should the LEED AP check?
LEED Process
A retail project with owner-controlled shell and tenant fit-outs is pursuing LEED AP BD+C-aligned certification strategy under current LEED practice. The owner has an old checklist saved from a previous LEED v4 project, but several credit language updates have been published. What controls?
Location and Transportation
A municipal library on a brownfield-adjacent infill site is pursuing LEED AP BD+C-aligned certification strategy under current LEED practice. The team installs EV charging but places all stations in an employee-only garage while visitor parking is the dominant use. What should be checked?
Exam insights and study advice
Earning the LEED AP BD+C credential is a definitive career milestone that signals to employers, clients, and peers a commitment to excellence in sustainable design and construction. It provides immediate industry recognition as a subject matter expert, opening doors to leadership roles on high-profile projects, consulting opportunities, and positions with top-tier architecture, engineering, and construction firms. In a market increasingly driven by ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals and regulatory requirements for building performance, this certification differentiates professionals as capable of delivering measurable results in energy savings, carbon reduction, and occupant well-being. It is not merely a credential but a career accelerator that establishes credibility and command in the competitive green building industry.
What this exam covers
01Energy and Atmosphere
Topics
- Energy performance and efficiency (e.g., referenced standards, building performance factors, prescriptive, performance [energy modeling])
- Electrification (e.g., limit on-site combustion, electrification readiness)
- Reduction of peak thermal loads (e.g., ventilation, thermal bridging, infiltration)
- Renewable energy supply (e.g., on-site and off-site renewable energy; renewable energy readiness, photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, low-impact hydroelectricity, Energy Attribute Certificates [EACs], equity project)
- Refrigerants (e.g., use of refrigerants on site, methods and approaches, Global Warming Potential [GWP] benchmarks, installation, leakage amounts)
- Commissioning (e.g., commissioning authority [CxA], owner’s project requirements [OPR], basis of design [BOD], monitoring-based commissioning, envelope commissioning, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing [MEP] systems, building enclosures, monitoring based commission [MBCx], training of staff, opera
- Advanced energy metering (e.g., energy use measurement, building automation controls, benchmarking)
- Emergency and future proofing (e.g., energy storage, renewable energy readiness, power resiliency [critical loads])
- Grid interactive (e.g., grid efficiency and reliability, demand response programs, load shifting)
Learning objectives
- Energy performance and efficiency (e.g., referenced standards, building performance factors, prescriptive, performance [energy modeling])
- Electrification (e.g., limit on-site combustion, electrification readiness)
- Reduction of peak thermal loads (e.g., ventilation, thermal bridging, infiltration)
- Renewable energy supply (e.g., on-site and off-site renewable energy; renewable energy readiness, photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, low-impact hydroelectricity, Energy Attribute Certificates [EACs], equity project)
- Refrigerants (e.g., use of refrigerants on site, methods and approaches, Global Warming Potential [GWP] benchmarks, installation, leakage amounts)
- Commissioning (e.g., commissioning authority [CxA], owner’s project requirements [OPR], basis of design [BOD], monitoring-based commissioning, envelope commissioning, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing [MEP] systems, building enclosures, monitoring based commission [MBCx], training of staff, opera
- Advanced energy metering (e.g., energy use measurement, building automation controls, benchmarking)
- Emergency and future proofing (e.g., energy storage, renewable energy readiness, power resiliency [critical loads])
- Grid interactive (e.g., grid efficiency and reliability, demand response programs, load shifting)
02Indoor Environmental Quality
Topics
- Thermal environment (e.g., over-cooling, heating, thermal safety, cooling solutions and fans, thermal comfort control)
- Sound environment (e.g., exterior and interior noise, background noise, reverberation, noise exposure, acoustical comfort, acoustical privacy, soundscape, quiet zones, sensory zones)
- Lighting environment (e.g., color rendering, surface reflectance, types of fixtures, luminance, Unified Glare Rating [UGR], lighting controls, daylight [building massing and orientation, glare, human health impacts, illuminance, surface reflectance, spatial Daylight Autonomy [sDA], Annual Sunlight E
- Biophilic environment (e.g., connection to outdoor environment; direct line of sight to outdoors, repeated and sustained engagement with nature, quality views)
- Accessibility and inclusion (e.g., accessibility codes, strategies for safety and aging, social health, wayfinding, neurodiversity, adaptable environment [choice and flexibility])
- Construction management (e.g., no smoking, extreme heat protection, HVAC protection, source control, pathway interruption, housekeeping, scheduling, construction indoor air quality)
- Ventilation levels (e.g., natural vs. mechanical, outdoor air, regional climate conditions, local air quality, ventilation design, performance-based indoor air quality procedure [IAQP])
- Management of and improvements to indoor air quality (e.g., filtration, air cleaning, air testing, ongoing monitoring)
- Exposure to emissions (e.g., prohibit smoking, prohibit vehicle idling)
- Management modes for risk events (e.g., infection risk management mode, wildfire, power outages)
- Resilient planning and design (e.g., thermal safety, extreme heat and cold, operable windows)
Learning objectives
- Thermal environment (e.g., over-cooling, heating, thermal safety, cooling solutions and fans, thermal comfort control)
- Sound environment (e.g., exterior and interior noise, background noise, reverberation, noise exposure, acoustical comfort, acoustical privacy, soundscape, quiet zones, sensory zones)
- Lighting environment (e.g., color rendering, surface reflectance, types of fixtures, luminance, Unified Glare Rating [UGR], lighting controls, daylight [building massing and orientation, glare, human health impacts, illuminance, surface reflectance, spatial Daylight Autonomy [sDA], Annual Sunlight E
- Biophilic environment (e.g., connection to outdoor environment; direct line of sight to outdoors, repeated and sustained engagement with nature, quality views)
- Accessibility and inclusion (e.g., accessibility codes, strategies for safety and aging, social health, wayfinding, neurodiversity, adaptable environment [choice and flexibility])
- Construction management (e.g., no smoking, extreme heat protection, HVAC protection, source control, pathway interruption, housekeeping, scheduling, construction indoor air quality)
- Ventilation levels (e.g., natural vs. mechanical, outdoor air, regional climate conditions, local air quality, ventilation design, performance-based indoor air quality procedure [IAQP])
- Management of and improvements to indoor air quality (e.g., filtration, air cleaning, air testing, ongoing monitoring)
- Exposure to emissions (e.g., prohibit smoking, prohibit vehicle idling)
- Management modes for risk events (e.g., infection risk management mode, wildfire, power outages)
- Resilient planning and design (e.g., thermal safety, extreme heat and cold, operable windows)
03Integrative Process Planning and Assessments
Topics
- Integrative Design Process (e.g. timing, engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, assessment-based understanding, design charrette, discovery, LEED goal setting)
- Core and Shell, as applicable (e.g., tenant guidelines, green leases credits)
- Climate resilience (e.g., site-specific natural hazards)
- Human use, health impact and social context (e.g., cultural awareness, historic or heritage awareness, community engagement)
- Carbon assessment (e.g., operational, embodied, transportation, refrigerants, product selection, long-term direct and indirect carbon emissions)
Learning objectives
- Integrative Design Process (e.g. timing, engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, assessment-based understanding, design charrette, discovery, LEED goal setting)
- Core and Shell, as applicable (e.g., tenant guidelines, green leases credits)
- Climate resilience (e.g., site-specific natural hazards)
- Human use, health impact and social context (e.g., cultural awareness, historic or heritage awareness, community engagement)
- Carbon assessment (e.g., operational, embodied, transportation, refrigerants, product selection, long-term direct and indirect carbon emissions)
04LEED Process
Topics
- Minimum Program Requirements for LEED certification and requirements for Platinum
- Different avenues to achieve LEED goals (e.g., developing credit interpretation rulings/requests, project priorities, LEED equivalencies)
- LEED system synergies and tradeoffs (e.g., between rating systems, between credits, between strategies)
- Project boundary, LEED boundary, and property boundary
- Evolutionary characteristics of LEED (e.g., addenda, continuous improvement, development cycles of the rating systems)
- Selection of rating systems (e.g., LEED 40/60 rule)
- LEED occupancy (e.g., FTE, transients, visitors, residents)
Learning objectives
- Minimum Program Requirements for LEED certification and requirements for Platinum
- Different avenues to achieve LEED goals (e.g., developing credit interpretation rulings/requests, project priorities, LEED equivalencies)
- LEED system synergies and tradeoffs (e.g., between rating systems, between credits, between strategies)
- Project boundary, LEED boundary, and property boundary
- Evolutionary characteristics of LEED (e.g., addenda, continuous improvement, development cycles of the rating systems)
- Selection of rating systems (e.g., LEED 40/60 rule)
- LEED occupancy (e.g., FTE, transients, visitors, residents)
05Location and Transportation
Topics
- Development constraints and opportunities (e.g., prime farmland, floodplains, species and habitat, water bodies, wetlands, historic districts, priority designations, brownfields, steep slopes)
- Community connectivity terms and definitions (e.g., walkability, street design, surrounding density, diverse uses)
- Access to quality transit, concepts/calculations (e.g., accessibility to multimodal transportation choices)
- Transportation demand management (e.g., parking capacity and management, bicycle storage and shower facilities)
- Electric vehicles (e.g., regionalization of energy sources for electric power generation, EV parking, EV supply equipment specifications)
- Economic and social vitality of a community (e.g., equitable construction, supporting a local economy, affordable housing)
Learning objectives
- Development constraints and opportunities (e.g., prime farmland, floodplains, species and habitat, water bodies, wetlands, historic districts, priority designations, brownfields, steep slopes)
- Community connectivity terms and definitions (e.g., walkability, street design, surrounding density, diverse uses)
- Access to quality transit, concepts/calculations (e.g., accessibility to multimodal transportation choices)
- Transportation demand management (e.g., parking capacity and management, bicycle storage and shower facilities)
- Electric vehicles (e.g., regionalization of energy sources for electric power generation, EV parking, EV supply equipment specifications)
- Economic and social vitality of a community (e.g., equitable construction, supporting a local economy, affordable housing)
06Materials and Resources
Topics
- Whole-building life-cycle assessment (e.g., life-cycle stages, modules, standards and building scope; high-impact materials; project structure enclosure and hardscape materials; quantify global warming potential [GWP] impacts)
- Procurement of low-embodied carbon materials (e.g., environmental product declaration [EPD], embodied carbon conservation measures, multi-attribute products, buy-clean program [locally made, low-carbon materials, social responsibility in the supply chain, raw material source and extraction practices
- Carbon emissions from construction activities (e.g., track fuel and utility usage, reduce transportation emissions)
- Building and material reuse (e.g., partial- and whole-building, enclosure materials [skin, framing], permanently installed interior elements [walls, doors, floor coverings, ceiling systems], incorporating reuse from off-site)
- Material stewardship (e.g., where materials came from, end of life of materials, how to recover value, durability, extended producer responsibility [EPR], recycled content)
- Low-emitting materials selection (e.g., product categories [paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, flooring, ceiling, walls, insulation, composite wood, furniture])
- Human and ecological health impacts (e.g., evaluation criteria, material ingredient reporting and optimization, volatile organic compound [VOC] emissions and content, toxicity, evaluating environmental claims)
- Construction and demolition waste management (e.g., waste reduction, waste diversion goals, recycle and/or salvage nonhazardous construction and demolition materials, waste management plan, source separation of materials)
- Operations and ongoing waste management (e.g., waste reduction, storage and collection of recyclable materials [mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals], safe storage areas for batteries and mercury-containing lamps, organic waste composting)
Learning objectives
- Whole-building life-cycle assessment (e.g., life-cycle stages, modules, standards and building scope; high-impact materials; project structure enclosure and hardscape materials; quantify global warming potential [GWP] impacts)
- Procurement of low-embodied carbon materials (e.g., environmental product declaration [EPD], embodied carbon conservation measures, multi-attribute products, buy-clean program [locally made, low-carbon materials, social responsibility in the supply chain, raw material source and extraction practices
- Carbon emissions from construction activities (e.g., track fuel and utility usage, reduce transportation emissions)
- Building and material reuse (e.g., partial- and whole-building, enclosure materials [skin, framing], permanently installed interior elements [walls, doors, floor coverings, ceiling systems], incorporating reuse from off-site)
- Material stewardship (e.g., where materials came from, end of life of materials, how to recover value, durability, extended producer responsibility [EPR], recycled content)
- Low-emitting materials selection (e.g., product categories [paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, flooring, ceiling, walls, insulation, composite wood, furniture])
- Human and ecological health impacts (e.g., evaluation criteria, material ingredient reporting and optimization, volatile organic compound [VOC] emissions and content, toxicity, evaluating environmental claims)
- Construction and demolition waste management (e.g., waste reduction, waste diversion goals, recycle and/or salvage nonhazardous construction and demolition materials, waste management plan, source separation of materials)
- Operations and ongoing waste management (e.g., waste reduction, storage and collection of recyclable materials [mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals], safe storage areas for batteries and mercury-containing lamps, organic waste composting)
07Sustainable Sites
Topics
- Site assessment (e.g., special-status vegetation, healthy habitat and invasive species to be identified)
- Construction activity pollution prevention (e.g., erosion and sedimentation control plan, airborne dust)
- Habitat conservation and restoration (e.g., site restoration or preservation, habitat restoration, habitat conservation, native or adaptive vegetation, disturbed or compacted soils, bird-friendly glass)
- Exterior lighting (e.g., lighting trespass and uplight, preservation of night sky, nocturnal animals and migrating birds)
- Heat island reduction (e.g., heat island effect, vegetated roofs, solar reflectance, roof and non-roof strategies, tree equity, parking undercover)
- Rainwater management (e.g., historical rainfall conditions, natural hydrology, runoff management, low impact development, rainwater harvesting and reuse, implications for zero lot line projects)
- Extreme climate change events (e.g., droughts, extreme heat, flooding, hail, hurricanes, sea level rise, tsunamis, wildfire, winter storms)
- Accessible quality open space (e.g., barrier-free and physically accessible, social equity element in community outdoor space, amount of space and quality of services, vegetated outdoor space, biophilia)
Learning objectives
- Site assessment (e.g., special-status vegetation, healthy habitat and invasive species to be identified)
- Construction activity pollution prevention (e.g., erosion and sedimentation control plan, airborne dust)
- Habitat conservation and restoration (e.g., site restoration or preservation, habitat restoration, habitat conservation, native or adaptive vegetation, disturbed or compacted soils, bird-friendly glass)
- Exterior lighting (e.g., lighting trespass and uplight, preservation of night sky, nocturnal animals and migrating birds)
- Heat island reduction (e.g., heat island effect, vegetated roofs, solar reflectance, roof and non-roof strategies, tree equity, parking undercover)
- Rainwater management (e.g., historical rainfall conditions, natural hydrology, runoff management, low impact development, rainwater harvesting and reuse, implications for zero lot line projects)
- Extreme climate change events (e.g., droughts, extreme heat, flooding, hail, hurricanes, sea level rise, tsunamis, wildfire, winter storms)
- Accessible quality open space (e.g., barrier-free and physically accessible, social equity element in community outdoor space, amount of space and quality of services, vegetated outdoor space, biophilia)
08Water Efficiency
Topics
- Irrigation demand (e.g., landscape water requirement, irrigation system efficiency, native and adaptive species, conceptual understanding of irrigation calculations)
- Fixture and fittings (e.g., prescriptive versus performance path, water use reduction through fixtures such as toilets, urinals, showerheads, faucets [kitchen and lavatory], conceptual understanding of calculations)
- Appliance and process water (e.g., equipment types [cooling towers and washing machines], commercial kitchen equipment)
- Types and quality of water (e.g., potable, nonpotable, alternative water sources)
- Water reuse (e.g., water reclamation, alternative water sources)
- Holistic approach to building water use (e.g., whole project water use)
- Water use measurement (e.g., water meters, submeters, types of water sources to measure, data management and analysis)
- Leak detection (e.g., leak detection sensors)
Learning objectives
- Irrigation demand (e.g., landscape water requirement, irrigation system efficiency, native and adaptive species, conceptual understanding of irrigation calculations)
- Fixture and fittings (e.g., prescriptive versus performance path, water use reduction through fixtures such as toilets, urinals, showerheads, faucets [kitchen and lavatory], conceptual understanding of calculations)
- Appliance and process water (e.g., equipment types [cooling towers and washing machines], commercial kitchen equipment)
- Types and quality of water (e.g., potable, nonpotable, alternative water sources)
- Water reuse (e.g., water reclamation, alternative water sources)
- Holistic approach to building water use (e.g., whole project water use)
- Water use measurement (e.g., water meters, submeters, types of water sources to measure, data management and analysis)
- Leak detection (e.g., leak detection sensors)
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