Provide employers, clients, and other stakeholders with an assurance of your level of green building expertise with the mark of the most qualified, educated, and influential green building professionals in the marketplace.
Become a LEED Green Associate
For professionals who want to demonstrate green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice, this credential denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction, and operations.
1. Get the Handbook
2. Register at GBCI.org
3. Register at Prometrics for a test date
4. Purchase the Study Guide
5. Pass the exam, become a LEED Green Associate!
Get a LEED AP Specialty LEED AP

For specialists in a particular LEED Rating System. The LEED AP Specialty exam is both the LEED Green Associate & the Specialty exam. You must be able to demonstrate experience on a LEED project in order to qualify for the specialty exam.
1. Get the LEED AP Specialty Handbook
2. Purchase the LEED Reference Guide
3. Pass the exam and become a LEED AP Specialty!
LEED Credential Maintenance
Along with the changes to LEED certification and credentialing levels rolled out in LEED 2009, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) developed a Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) for LEED professionals. GBCI now requires all LEED Green Associates and LEED APs with specialties to receive green building education to maintain their credentials. This ensures that LEED professionals stay informed and have a certain level of knowledge, which is particularly important in the constantly evolving world of green building.
- LEED APs with specialties must earn 30 CE hours biennially
- LEED Green Associates must earn 15 CE hours biennially
- LEED APs without specialty (credentialed before June 30, 2009) may opt-in to become LEED APs with specialties by completing credential maintenance requirements or retest to earn a specialty.
To fully understand the Credential Maintenance Program, please read through GBCI's CMP Guide and the CMP webpage. For directions on how to log your CE hours, read this guide .
