webinar: become a leed ap and maintain your credential

Become a LEED AP & Maintain Your Credential

Continuously improving the built environment

Who are we?

• Rhode Island Center for Biotechnology & Life Sciences

• Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary

Green Roundtable Courses

• LEED Green Associate Exam Prep

• LEED & Green Project Management- 8 AIA Sustainable Design CE, GBCI LEED-Specific CEU for BD+C, ID+C and O+M

• Energy Modeling for LEED Certification- 16 AIA Sustainable Design CE, GBCI LEED-Specific CEU for BD+C

• Green Building Case Study- 1.5 AIA Sustainable Design CE, GBCI CE

http://www.nexusboston.org/training#leedgaexamprep

http://www.nexusboston.org/training#leedpm

http://www.nexusboston.org/training#energymodeling

http://www.nexusboston.org/training#casestudy

What is the LEED AP with Specialty?

Why go for the LEED AP credential?

Recognition


Trust


Knowledge

In June 2009, a new three-level LEED-AP tiered system was introduced:

• Tier I—LEED Green Associate

• Tier II—LEED AP

• Tier III—LEED AP Fellow

There are now eligibility requirements for all levels of the exam in addition to credentialing maintenance requirements.

Changes to AP Credentialing

The LEED AP

Exam

Tier II—LEED AP:

• Extraordinary depth of knowledge in green building practices and specialization in a particular field:

– Commercial building design and construction– Commercial operations and maintenance– Commercial interior design and construction– Residential design and construction– Neighborhood development

• Must pass 2 exams- Green Associate (2 hrs, 100 mult. choice questions) and AP (2 hrs, 100 mult. choice questions)

• Biennial educational maintenance requirement of 30 hours

LEED AP with Specialty

Eligibility requirements for taking LEED AP exam:

• Documented work on at least one LEED project within the last 3 years, with verification in the form of a letter of attestation from a supervisor, client, or project manager

• Submit to application audit

LEED AP Exam Requirements

For exam eligibility, GBCI considers involvement on a LEED project to mean-

that the candidate can demonstrate how they have contributed to the registered project through active participation and on-going responsibility, and can show how they have been exposed to the LEED process.

LEED AP Exam Requirements

• LEED AP candidates must pass both the Green Associate and the LEED AP sections of the exam to earn the LEED AP credential.

• You are allowed three attempts per section during the one-year application period.

LEED AP Exam

LEED Green Associate Exam

The Green Associate exam tests:

• Knowledge of what LEED is• Knowledge of administrative processes,

including registration, certification, CIRs, etc.• Familiarity with terminology• Potential strategies for achieving

sustainability goals• How to be involved with and support other

LEED project team members

LEED AP Exam

The LEED APs exam tests:

• Knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the design process, to support and encourage integrated design, and to streamline the LEED application and certification process

• Understanding of green building practices and principles, and familiarity with LEED requirements and reference standards

Maintaining Your AP

Credential

Maintaining Your LEED AP Credential: LEED APs without Specialty

• LEED APs without specialty (those who passed exam prior to July 1, 2009) who enroll in the CMP system follow a different CMP compliance path than LEED Green Associates and LEED APs who have taken one of the new specialty exams.

• For LEED APs without specialty, GBCI provides an enrollment window between Fall 2009 and October 27, 2011.

• Enrolling in the CMP allows these LEED APs to use the new LEED AP with specialty credential aligned with the exam they initially took.

• Enrollment is through “My Credentials” on www.gbci.org.

• Select “Enroll in the LEED AP with Specialty Credential.”

• The 2-year CMP reporting period begins on the CMP enrollment date and ends 2 years minus 1 day from the start date.

LEED APs without Specialty

http://www.gbci.org/

http://www.gbci.org/


• If enrolling through retesting, only the specialty exam is required.

• After passing the exam, LEED APs must complete continuing education in order to maintain their specialty credential.

• During the enrollment period, LEED APs without specialty must either pass the new specialty exam (registering before October 27, 2011)

• OR complete prescriptive CMP requirements during the initial 2-year reporting period.


• LEED APs without specialty who do not enroll in the CMP are not required to do any credentialing maintenance or to pay any fees.

• LEED APs without specialty who do not enroll in the CMP or those who enroll and don’t maintain the specialty credential-

• will continue to be listed as LEED APs without specialty in the LEED Professional Directory,

• will hold the credential in perpetuity, and • can continue to use LEED AP without specialty

title and logo (as of 3/2011).


• If LEED APs without specialty want to get their specialty designation after their enrollment period ends, they must take both parts of the exam.

Maintaining Your LEED AP Credential

• All LEED APs must earn 30 hours (minimum of 6 must be LEED-specific) of continuing education (CE) during the 2-year period following the date they are awarded their credential.

• CE must be related to green building, green technology and/or LEED.

• Requirements are prescriptive for all LEED Green Associates and LEED APs.

LEED AP Prescriptive Requirements

Prescriptive Credentialing Maintenance Requirements (for LEED APs Enrolling in the CMP)

Category LEED AP BD+C LEED AP ID+C LEED AP O+M

I. Project Site Factors 4 CE hours 1 CE hour 3 CE hours

II. Water Management 3 CE hours 3 CE hours 4 CE hours

III. Project Systems & Energy Impacts

6 CE hours 6 CE hours 6 CE hours

IV. Acquisition, Installation & Management of Project Materials


V. Improvements to the Indoor Environment


VI. Stakeholder Involvement in Innovation

2 CE hours 1 CE hour 2 CE hours

VII. Project Surrounding & Public Outreach

1 CE hour 2 CE hours 1 CE hour

Requirements amount to only 24 hours. The 6 additional CE hours can be earned in any category

If LEED APs without specialty who enrolled through prescriptive credential maintenance decide they want to take the exam instead, their prescriptive credential maintenance requirements change to non-prescriptive and are prorated based on the amount of time between their enrollment date and their exam date.

Number of Months after Reporting Period Start Date

Total CE Hours Required Total LEED-Specific Hours Required

0-6 30 hours 6 hours

7-12 22.5 4.5

13-18 15 3

19-24 7.5 1.5

LEED AP Prescriptive Requirements

Maintaining Your LEED AP Credential for Newly Accredited LEED Professionals

• For those who passed the GA or specialty AP exam before August 3, 2009, the reporting period ends August 2, 2011.

• For those who passed the GA or specialty AP exam after August 3, 2009, the reporting period beings on the exam date and ends 2 years minus 1 day from the state date.

Newly Accredited LEED Professionals• If LEED APs with specialty maintain their

credential by retesting, they must register for the exam between 12 months after the start date and 3 months from the end of the reporting period (months 13-21).

• LEED APs with specialty who retest do not have to complete continuing education in that initial two-year period.

• If LEED APs wait until 24 months after their exam date and their credential expires, they must retake both parts of the exam to become a LEED AP with specialty.

Newly Accredited LEED Professionals

• If LEED APs with specialty enroll and don’t fulfill the requirements or if the CE hours are not reported to GBCI, the LEED AP with specialty credential expires and the individual is removed from the LEED Professional Directory.

• The individual then becomes a LEED AP without specialty.


• There is a $50 biennial CMP renewal fee.

• If this fee isn’t paid in the 30 days following the end of the reporting periods, the credential expires.

• This fee is waived for LEED APs without specialty who enroll in the new CMP system within their enrollment period.

• When enrolling, you must also sign the Disciplinary and Exam Appeals Policy and agree to credential maintenance.


• LEED APs who have more than one specialty must maintain each of them.

• One will be designated as the primary specialty; all others will be secondary specialty(ies).

• LEED APs who passed more than one of the “old” exams (NC, CI or EBOM) must complete hours of CE for each specialty; 6 of these hours must be LEED-specific for each specialty.


Number of Specialties

Total CE Hours Required

Total LEED-Specific Hours Required

Total Fee

1 (e.g., NC) 30 hours 6 hours (BD+C specific) $50

2 (e.g., NC and ID+C)

36 hours 12 hours (6 BD+C-specific and 6 ID+C-specific)

$50

3 (e.g., NC, ID+C, Homes)

42 hours 18 hours (6 BD+C-specific, 6 ID+C-specific and 6 Homes-specific)

$50

4 (e.g., NC, ID+C, Homes, O+M)

48 hours 24 hours (6 BD+C-specific, 6 ID+C-specific 6 Homes-specific and 6 O+M-specific)

$50

5 (e.g., NC, ID+C, Homes, O+M, ND)

54 hours 30 hours (6 BD+C-specific, 6 ID+C-specific 6 Homes-specific, 6 O+M-specific and 6 ND-specific)

$50


• LEED APs who passed one of the “old” exams and one of the new exams (BD+C, ID+C or O+M) must complete 30 hours of CE in their primary specialty (6 LEED-specific) and only 6 additional LEED-specific hours for their secondary specialty(ies).

• The primary specialty corresponds to the BD+C, ID+C, O+M track, and the new specialty exam will become the secondary specialty(ies).


• If the primary and secondary specialty(ies) are not earned at the same time, the CMP requirement for the secondary specialty is prorated for the reporting period in which it was earned; the reporting period stays the same.

Time after Start of Reporting Period Prorated LEED-specific Hours Required for Secondary Specialty

0-6 months 6 LEED-specific hours

7-12 months 4.5 LEED-specific hours

13-18 months 3 LEED-specific hours

19-24 months 1.5 LEED-specific hours

Obtaining the Continuing Education

Hours

Obtaining the CE Hours

• LEED-specific hours can be earned through ERB- or GBCI-approved activities, project participation and/or authorship.

• All professional development/continuing education courses submitted must be approved by an Education Reviewing Body (ERB) in order to be accepted by GBCI.

• Self-study programs and college and university courses do not have to be approved by an ERB.


• In addition to being ERB-approved, 75% or more or LEED-specific continuing education must be directly related to: The current versions of the ratings systems and reference

guides (credits, intents, referenced standards and requirements) OR

The LEED certification process OR LEED Online

• LEED-specific continuing education must also directly support the maintenance of LEED professionals’ applied knowledge of LEED in a manner that relates to their credential


https://www.usgbc.org/CourseCatalog/CourseCatalog.aspx

https://www.usgbc.org/CourseCatalog/CourseCatalog.aspx


• CE hours are calculated differently depending on the activity delivery method:

1. Professional development/continuing education courses

2. Live presentations

3. Self-study programs, including reading

4. College and university courses

5. Certificates, professional licenses and credentials

6. Committee and volunteer work

7. Authorship

8. LEED project participation


• LEED APs should only report activities that: Address topics outlined for each specialty in the

CMP Guide Appendix A. There are 7 categories for each specialty and numerous subcategories within those.


• LEED APs should only report activities that: Are selected by LEED APs for their own

professional development to supplement knowledge in sustainable building, working with an integrated design team or specific specialties

Do not endorse or promote any companies or products

Increase competency Follow current green building practices and

provide accurate and relevant program content

LEED AP CMP Categories

Activity Definition Examples Key Features Hours Possible

Not Included

Professional Development/Continuing Education

Courses or content to enhance and broaden skills and knowledge

• Courses

• Workshops

• Career training

• Workforce training

• Must be ERB-approved

• Minimum 50 minutes educational content

• Unlimited hours for attendees

• Hours earned only once

• As instructor, discussion leader, speaker or panelist, hours may not exceed 50% of the total CE hours per reporting period

• Instructors & developers can earn 2 additional hours per course for developing content

• 1 CE hour for first hour

• 0.5 hours for each additional full half hour

• Exam prep

• Unapproved employer training

1



Not Included

Live Presentations One-time events where content is delivered either in-person or through broadcast technology

• Conference sessions

• Brown-bag lunches

• Employer training

• Does not have to be ERB-approved

• Between 50 and 90 minutes

• Hours limited to 5 per reporting period for attendees

• As instructor, discussion leader, speaker or panelist, hours may not exceed 50% of the total CE hours per reporting period

• Instructors & developers can earn 2 additional hours per course for developing content



• Exam prep

• Product-related sessions

2



Not Included

Self-study Independent review of relevant material

• Webinars

• Books or articles

• Digitized lectures

• Written or online exams at least 60 minutes long

• Only LEED-specific hours have to be ERB-approved

• Addresses topics in Appendix A of CMP Guide (list of categories accepted for CE hours)

• Provide information on periodical read, page numbers and linkage to Appendix A

• Hours limited to 5 per reporting period



• Exam prep

• Product-related overviews

3



Not Included

College and University Courses

Courses offered by accredited institutions that are part of a curriculum

Courses in disciplines related to green building or LEED

• Credit and non-credit courses accepted

• Only LEED- specific hours have to be ERB-approved

• CE hours unlimited

• 1 CE hour per classroom hour

• Exam prep

4



Not Included

Certificates, Professional Licenses and Credentials

Successfully passing exams in related professions or industries

• Professional Engineers Exam

• Associate Constructor Exam

• Does not count towards LEED-specific hours

• Must be earned during reporting period

• Only counted when credential is earned

• 1 hour for certificates

• 3 hours for professional licenses and credentials

• Exam prep

• Credentials earned outside reporting period

5



Not Included

Committee and Volunteer Work

Unpaid activity which supports LEED

• Participation in:– USGBC or

GBCI Board of Directors

– Steering committees

– Local chapter– ASHRAE

committees

• Does not count towards LEED-specific hours

• CE hours limited to 4 per reporting period

• 2 hours for holding leadership position

• 0.5 hours per meeting attendance

• Volunteer work where the techniques used are irrelevant to green building or LEED

6



Not Included

Authorship Publication or articles and/or books that focus on green building and/or LEED

• Articles in Architectural Record, GreenSource

• Books on relevant topics

• Must be related to topics in Appendix A

• Can count towards LEED-specific hours if linkages to rating system(s) is demonstrated

• Must be published during reporting period

• 3 hours for articles

• 10 hours for books

• Short letters to an editor

• Blogs or individual blog entries

• Unpublished manuscripts

7



Not Included

LEED Project Participation

Paid or unpaid work related to credit implemen-tation and documen-tation

• Civil engineer performs stormwater calculations for SSc6.1 and SSc6.2

• Project must be registered, but certification is not required

• Counts toward LEED-specific hours

• Verified through LEED-Online or project manager, client or employer attestation

• Hours limited to 10 per reporting period

• 1 hour per credit or prerequisite

• 2 hours per project for project administra-tors

• Projects which implement green building or LEED but are not registered for LEED certification

8

Documenting Your

Continuing Education

Hours

Documenting Your CE Hours

CE hours are documented online through “My Credentials”:


Select the category to which the CMP activity applies and select “Add”


Enter the activity date, subcategory, delivery methods, description, details, content type and CE hours earned

A CMP Wizard with:• activity descriptions• step-by-step guide to

documenting CMP activity • activity tracking forms

is available at http://www.gbci.org/cmp-wizard.aspx

Documenting Your CE Hours – Resources

http://www.gbci.org/cmp-wizard.aspx




• Random audits of 5-7% of CE hours will be conducted. Backup documentation of reported hours will be requested and will be reviewed and either accepted or denied by GBCI.

• If hours are denied and a deficiency is determined, additional hours must be reported and submitted with backup documentation within 90 days (and before the end of the AP’s reporting period).

• If the deficiency remains after 90 days, the credential expires.

Resources for Credentialing Maintenance

• GBCI website (General information and links to CMP Guide [for LEED APs with Specialty])

http://www.gbci.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=202

• CMP Enrollment Guide for LEED APs without Specialty

http://www.gbci.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3666

• My Credentials section of GBCI websitehttps://ssl11.cyzap.net/gbcicertonline/login/





https://ssl11.cyzap.net/gbcicertonline/login/

Gain the Skills to Manage Effective Projects

• Training: LEED & Green Project Management

• DATE: May 12, 2011, 8:30am-5pm

• Boston, MA

• 700 free practice questions through GreenExamPrep

• Register online at http://www.nexusboston.org/events/2011-01

http://www.nexusboston.org/events/2011-01

Thank You

The Green Roundtable / NEXUS (617) 374-3740www.nexusboston.org

Section 1– Professional Development and Continuing Ed

• Courses or content to enhance and broaden skills and knowledge

• Includes ERB-approved courses, workshops, career training, workforce training, etc. Exam prep courses are not included

• In addition to being approved by an ERB, must be:Designed and instructed by people qualified in

the subject matterProvide documentation of course completionHave at least 50 minutes of instructional time


• CE hours are unlimited for attendees• CE hours may be earned only once for

attending or leading the same instructional program

• CE hours earned as an instructor, discussion leader, speaker or panelist may not exceed 50% of the total CE hours per 2-year reporting period

• Instructors and developers of courses may earn up to 2 additional CE hours per course for developing content


• CE hours possible: 1 CE hour for first hour of

the activity 0.5 hours for each

additional full half of one activity hour (for example, a 75-minute program earns 1 CE hour; a 90-minute program earns 1.5 hours; a 2-hour program earns 2 hours)

Section 2 – Live Presentations

• One-time events where content is delivered either in-person or through broadcast technology

• Must be between 50 and 90 minutes long

• Includes non-ERB-approved conference sessions, brown-bag lunches (excluding product-related sessions) and employer training. Exam prep is not included


• CE hours are limited to 5 per reporting period for attendees

• CE hours earned as an instructor, discussion leader, speaker or panelist may not exceed 50% of the total CE hours per 2-year reporting period

• Instructors and developers of courses may earn up to 2 additional CE hours per course for developing content.

• CE hours possible 1 CE hour for first hour of the activity 0.5 hours for each additional full half of

one activity hour


• Any study relevant to practice that addresses topics in Appendix A are accepted for CE hours as long as information on the periodical read, exact pages and linkage to Appendix A is supplied

Section 3 – Self-study

• Independent review of material• Includes content delivered in webinars, books

or articles, digitized lectures and written or online exams at least 60 minutes long

• Only LEED-specific hours must be approved by an ERB

• Does not include exam prep or product-related overviews

• CE hours are limited to 5 per reporting period• CE hours possible

1 CE hour for first hour of the activity

0.5 hours for each additional full half of one activity hour

Section 3 – Self-study

• Courses offered by accredited institutions that are part of a curriculum

• Both credit and non-credit courses accepted• Only LEED-specific hours must be approved by

an ERB• CE hours are earned at a rate of 1 CE hour per

classroom hour• CE hours are unlimited• Exam prep is not included

Section 4 – College and University Courses

• Successfully passing examinations for certificates, professional licenses or credentials in related professions or industries

• Does not count towards LEED-specific hours• Must be earned during the reporting period and

are only counted when license is initially earned• CE hours possible

1 CE hour for certificates 3 CE hours for professional licenses and

credentials

Section 5 – Certificates, Professional Licenses and Credentials

• Participation in USGBC or GBCI Board of Directors, steering committees, working groups, credential exam writing or job task analysis; local USGBC chapters or other volunteer organizations that support the LEED system

• Does not count towards LEED-specific hours• CE hours are limited to 4 hours per reporting

period

Section 6 – Committee & Volunteer Work

• USGBC or GBCI meeting is a single official gathering of committee members to transact business where there is no cessation of proceedings and where official recorded minutes are kept

• CE hours possible 2 CE hours for holding leadership position

(chair, vice chair, president, vice president or chapter advocacy program leader or serving on USGBC or GBCI Board of Directors)

0.5 hours per meeting attendance

Section 6 – Committee & Volunteer Work

• Authoring published articles or books related to the Appendix A topics that contribute to the competency of LEED professionals

• Articles and books are automatically audited • Can contribute to LEED-specific hours if

linkages to rating system(s) is/are demonstrated

• Work must be published during the 2-year reporting period

• CE hours possible 3 CE hours for published articles10 CE hours for published books

Section 7 – Authorship

• Paid or unpaid work related to credit implementation and documentation

• Project must be registered but certification is not required

• Earns LEED-specific hours• Verified through LEED-Online

and/or project manager and/or client or employer attestation

Section 8 – LEED Project Participation

• CE hours limited to 10 per 2-year reporting period

• CE hours possible 1 CE hour per LEED credit or

prerequisite 2 CE hours per project for project

administrators

Section 8 – LEED Project Participation

webinar: become a leed ap and maintain your credential

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