USGBC LEED AP BD+C Practice Exams
Last updated on Oct 24,2026- Exam Code: LEED AP BD+C
- Exam Name: LEED AP Building Design + Construction
- Certification Provider: USGBC
- Latest update: Oct 24,2026
Question #191
Which would contribute to compliance with Sustainable Sites Credit, Open Space?
- A . A mall with an indoor atrium, featuring a reflective roof
- B . A parking lot that serves as the location for a monthly flea market
- C . An intensive vegetated roof, provided the building has at least a 1.0 Floor to Area Ratio (FAR)
- D . A forested area containing nature trails, that also achieves Sustainable Sites Credit, Site Development C Protect or Restore Habitat
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
According to the LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, the Sustainable Sites Credit, Open Space requires the project to provide outdoor space greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area (including building footprint). At least 25% of that outdoor space must be vegetated, have overhead vegetated canopy, or be a water body. Option A does not qualify as outdoor space, Option B is not vegetated or a water body, and Option C only applies to projects with a FAR of less than
D
Explanation:
According to the LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, the Sustainable Sites Credit, Open Space requires the project to provide outdoor space greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area (including building footprint). At least 25% of that outdoor space must be vegetated, have overhead vegetated canopy, or be a water body. Option A does not qualify as outdoor space, Option B is not vegetated or a water body, and Option C only applies to projects with a FAR of less than
Question #192
In order to comply with Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies, Option 2. Additional Enhanced IAQ Strategies
- A . all entrances to the building must have entryway systems 10 ft. (3 m) long in the direction of travel
- B . CO2 monitors must be fitted in all densely occupied spaces and configured to provide an alert
- C . all outdoor air supply systems must have an airflow measurement device that measures at least 90% of the airflow
- D . all particle filters in the ventilation system must meet Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN) standard Class F7 or better
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
To comply with the Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies, Option 2, all particle filters in the ventilation system must meet the Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN) standard Class F7 or better. This requirement ensures that the air quality inside the building is maintained at a high standard, contributing to the health and well-being of the occupants.
Reference: LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) V4 resources 1
D
Explanation:
To comply with the Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies, Option 2, all particle filters in the ventilation system must meet the Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN) standard Class F7 or better. This requirement ensures that the air quality inside the building is maintained at a high standard, contributing to the health and well-being of the occupants.
Reference: LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) V4 resources 1
Question #193
Which of the following methods is the referenced standard for demonstrating compliance with Indoor Environmental Quality Prerequisite, Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance?
- A . ASHRAE 62.2 – 2007
- B . ASHRAE 90.1 – 2010
- C . ASHRAE 55 – 2010
- D . ASHRAE 62.1 – 2010
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
The referenced standard for Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Prerequisite: Minimum Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Performance in LEED AP ID+C projects is ASHRAE 62.1 – 2010. ASHRAE 62.1 specifies ventilation rates and air quality requirements for acceptable indoor air quality in commercial buildings, establishing the minimum standards needed to maintain health and comfort. ASHRAE 62.2 (A) is relevant to low-rise residential buildings, ASHRAE 90.1 (B) covers energy standards, and ASHRAE 55 (C) relates to thermal comfort rather than air quality.
D
Explanation:
The referenced standard for Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Prerequisite: Minimum Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Performance in LEED AP ID+C projects is ASHRAE 62.1 – 2010. ASHRAE 62.1 specifies ventilation rates and air quality requirements for acceptable indoor air quality in commercial buildings, establishing the minimum standards needed to maintain health and comfort. ASHRAE 62.2 (A) is relevant to low-rise residential buildings, ASHRAE 90.1 (B) covers energy standards, and ASHRAE 55 (C) relates to thermal comfort rather than air quality.
Question #194
A new Science Education Center is pursuing LEED certification.
Which of the following strategies could be submitted to earn an Innovation in Design credit?
- A . The selection of energy-efficient LED fixtures for all of the building’s lighting
- B . The installation of an air-purifying facade material on the front entrance of the building
- C . The integration of rainwater management strategies to achieve a Regional Priority Credit
- D . The implementation of a comprehensive metering strategy to measure three individual energy end uses
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
This strategy could be submitted to earn an Innovation in Design credit because it addresses a green building topic not covered by any existing LEED credit. The air-purifying facade material is a novel and sustainable feature that can reduce the environmental impact of the building by removing pollutants from the air and improving the outdoor air quality1.
Reference: = LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Air-purifying facade material.
B
Explanation:
This strategy could be submitted to earn an Innovation in Design credit because it addresses a green building topic not covered by any existing LEED credit. The air-purifying facade material is a novel and sustainable feature that can reduce the environmental impact of the building by removing pollutants from the air and improving the outdoor air quality1.
Reference: = LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Air-purifying facade material.
Question #195
A design team is working on a new building project and is employing an integrated, whole-building approach. The architects want to increase the size of a glazed opening on the south facing wall.
Which team members are first affected by this change?
- A . Civil engineers
- B . Facility managers
- C . Landscape architects
- D . Mechanical engineers
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
According to the LEED v4: Building Design and Construction Guide, an integrated, whole-building approach is a process that requires collaboration and communication among all project team members and stakeholders throughout all phases of a project, from pre-design to occupancy and operations. The goal of this approach is to optimize the environmental and human health performance of a building as a whole, rather than focusing on individual components or systems1. One of the benefits of an integrated, whole-building approach is that it allows the project team to identify and evaluate the interrelationships and trade-offs among various design strategies and decisions, and to optimize the synergies and minimize the conflicts among them1. For example, increasing the size of a glazed opening on the south facing wall may have implications for the daylighting, solar heat gain, thermal comfort, energy use, and mechanical system design of the building2. Therefore, the team members who are first affected by this change are the mechanical engineers, who are responsible for designing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the building, and ensuring that it meets the thermal comfort and energy performance requirements of the project3. The mechanical engineers may need to adjust the size, type, and location of the HVAC equipment, ductwork, and controls, as well as perform energy modeling and analysis to evaluate the impact of the change on the building’s energy consumption and emissions3. The mechanical engineers may also need to coordinate with the architects, lighting designers, and other team members to ensure that the change does not compromise the other design goals and criteria of the project3.
Reference: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Integrative Process, Introduction1; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Optimize Energy Performance, Requirements2; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Thermal Comfort, Requirements3
D
Explanation:
According to the LEED v4: Building Design and Construction Guide, an integrated, whole-building approach is a process that requires collaboration and communication among all project team members and stakeholders throughout all phases of a project, from pre-design to occupancy and operations. The goal of this approach is to optimize the environmental and human health performance of a building as a whole, rather than focusing on individual components or systems1. One of the benefits of an integrated, whole-building approach is that it allows the project team to identify and evaluate the interrelationships and trade-offs among various design strategies and decisions, and to optimize the synergies and minimize the conflicts among them1. For example, increasing the size of a glazed opening on the south facing wall may have implications for the daylighting, solar heat gain, thermal comfort, energy use, and mechanical system design of the building2. Therefore, the team members who are first affected by this change are the mechanical engineers, who are responsible for designing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the building, and ensuring that it meets the thermal comfort and energy performance requirements of the project3. The mechanical engineers may need to adjust the size, type, and location of the HVAC equipment, ductwork, and controls, as well as perform energy modeling and analysis to evaluate the impact of the change on the building’s energy consumption and emissions3. The mechanical engineers may also need to coordinate with the architects, lighting designers, and other team members to ensure that the change does not compromise the other design goals and criteria of the project3.
Reference: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Integrative Process, Introduction1; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Optimize Energy Performance, Requirements2; LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Indoor Environmental Quality Credit, Thermal Comfort, Requirements3
Question #196
Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low-Impact Development (LID) rainwater management strategies improve upon the conventional approach for rainwater management by
- A . replicating a site’s natural hydrology
- B . discharging rainwater at a faster rate
- C . increasing a site’s impervious surface
- D . providing a greater volume of rainwater detention
Correct Answer: A
A
Explanation:
Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low-Impact Development (LID) rainwater management strategies improve upon the conventional approach for rainwater management by replicating a site’s natural hydrology. GI and LID are design approaches that use various practices to mimic the natural water cycle and reduce the negative impacts of development on the environment. They aim to preserve, restore, or create natural features that can capture, infiltrate, evaporate, or reuse rainwater on site, rather than conveying it to a centralized stormwater system. By doing so, they can reduce runoff volume and peak flow, improve water quality, enhance groundwater recharge, increase biodiversity, and create more attractive and resilient landscapes. Therefore, option A is the correct answer. The other options are not true for GI and LID strategies. Discharging rainwater at a faster rate (option B) would increase the risk of flooding, erosion, and pollution downstream. Increasing a site’s impervious surface (option C) would reduce the infiltration and evaporation of rainwater and increase runoff and heat island effects. Providing a greater volume of rainwater detention (option D) would not necessarily improve the site’s hydrology, as detention is only a temporary storage of rainwater that does not address the runoff quality or quantity issues. For more information on GI and LID rainwater management strategies, you can refer to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction1 or the Green CE course on Rainwater Management for LEED v4.1 Projects2.
A
Explanation:
Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low-Impact Development (LID) rainwater management strategies improve upon the conventional approach for rainwater management by replicating a site’s natural hydrology. GI and LID are design approaches that use various practices to mimic the natural water cycle and reduce the negative impacts of development on the environment. They aim to preserve, restore, or create natural features that can capture, infiltrate, evaporate, or reuse rainwater on site, rather than conveying it to a centralized stormwater system. By doing so, they can reduce runoff volume and peak flow, improve water quality, enhance groundwater recharge, increase biodiversity, and create more attractive and resilient landscapes. Therefore, option A is the correct answer. The other options are not true for GI and LID strategies. Discharging rainwater at a faster rate (option B) would increase the risk of flooding, erosion, and pollution downstream. Increasing a site’s impervious surface (option C) would reduce the infiltration and evaporation of rainwater and increase runoff and heat island effects. Providing a greater volume of rainwater detention (option D) would not necessarily improve the site’s hydrology, as detention is only a temporary storage of rainwater that does not address the runoff quality or quantity issues. For more information on GI and LID rainwater management strategies, you can refer to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction1 or the Green CE course on Rainwater Management for LEED v4.1 Projects2.
Question #197
Which of the following project team members should be integrated early into the design phase to assist with earning the Materials and Resources Prerequisite, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning?
- A . Owner
- B . Contractor
- C . Occupants
- D . Facility manager
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
. Contractor
The contractor is the project team member who should be integrated early into the design phase to assist with earning the Materials and Resources Prerequisite, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning. The contractor is responsible for implementing the waste management plan, which includes estimating the types and quantities of waste materials, identifying the diversion strategies, selecting the waste haulers and recyclers, tracking and documenting the waste diversion performance, and training the subcontractors and workers. The contractor can provide valuable input on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle the construction and demolition waste, as well as identify potential challenges and opportunities for achieving the prerequisite requirements.
Reference: Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction v4 C Pages 263-2641 LEED Certification and Sustainable Construction Waste Management1
B
Explanation:
. Contractor
The contractor is the project team member who should be integrated early into the design phase to assist with earning the Materials and Resources Prerequisite, Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning. The contractor is responsible for implementing the waste management plan, which includes estimating the types and quantities of waste materials, identifying the diversion strategies, selecting the waste haulers and recyclers, tracking and documenting the waste diversion performance, and training the subcontractors and workers. The contractor can provide valuable input on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle the construction and demolition waste, as well as identify potential challenges and opportunities for achieving the prerequisite requirements.
Reference: Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction v4 C Pages 263-2641 LEED Certification and Sustainable Construction Waste Management1
Question #198
The material cost for a project is $100,000.
What is the minimum material value needed to achieve Materials and Resources Credit, Building Disclosure and Optimization, Sourcing of Raw Materials, Option 2. Leadership Extraction Practices?
- A . $10,000
- B . $12,500
- C . $22,500
- D . $25,000
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
According to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Option 2 of the Sourcing of Raw Materials credit requires using products that meet at least one of the responsible extraction criteria for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project1. Therefore, for a project with a material cost of $100,000, the minimum material value needed to achieve this option is 25% of $100,000, which is $25,000.
D
Explanation:
According to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Option 2 of the Sourcing of Raw Materials credit requires using products that meet at least one of the responsible extraction criteria for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project1. Therefore, for a project with a material cost of $100,000, the minimum material value needed to achieve this option is 25% of $100,000, which is $25,000.
Question #199
When working on a renovation project, asbestos containing materials have been found on the perimeter walls. When calculating the percentage of building being reused under the Materials and Resources Credit, Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, the materials remediated will be
- A . included in the calculation
- B . excluded from the calculation
- C . excluded if the total volume is less than 25% of the building being reused
- D . excluded if the total volume is more than 25% of the building being reused
Correct Answer: B
B
Explanation:
The Materials and Resources Credit, Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, rewards projects that reuse existing building structures and envelopes, or salvage materials from off-site or on-site sources. According to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, the project team must calculate the percentage of building being reused by dividing the area of the existing building structure and envelope that is reused by the total area of the completed building structure and envelope1. However, the project team must exclude from the calculation any hazardous materials that are remediated as a part of the project, such as asbestos, lead, mold, or PCBs1.
Therefore, the asbestos containing materials found on the perimeter walls will be excluded from the calculation, regardless of the volume.
Reference:
• LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Materials and Resources Credit: Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, page 5451
• Building life-cycle impact reduction | U.S. Green Building Council2
B
Explanation:
The Materials and Resources Credit, Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, rewards projects that reuse existing building structures and envelopes, or salvage materials from off-site or on-site sources. According to the LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, the project team must calculate the percentage of building being reused by dividing the area of the existing building structure and envelope that is reused by the total area of the completed building structure and envelope1. However, the project team must exclude from the calculation any hazardous materials that are remediated as a part of the project, such as asbestos, lead, mold, or PCBs1.
Therefore, the asbestos containing materials found on the perimeter walls will be excluded from the calculation, regardless of the volume.
Reference:
• LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, Materials and Resources Credit: Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction, page 5451
• Building life-cycle impact reduction | U.S. Green Building Council2
Question #200
Which rating system is appropriate for a new mixed-use building with 300,000 ft2 (27 871 m2) of residential units, 150,000 ft2 (13 935 m2) hotel and 50,000 ft2 (4 645 m2) of retail space?
- A . Retail
- B . Hospitality
- C . Core and Shell Development
- D . New Construction
Correct Answer: D
D
Explanation:
New Construction is the appropriate rating system for a new mixed-use building with 300,000 ft2 (27 871 m2) of residential units, 150,000 ft2 (13 935 m2) hotel and 50,000 ft2 (4 645 m2) of retail space. According to the LEED rating system selection guidance1, the New Construction rating system applies to buildings that are being newly constructed or going through a major renovation, and that include any of the following use types: office, retail, hospitality, education, residential, warehouse and distribution centers, or data centers2. The New Construction rating system can also be used for mixed-use buildings that have more than one use type3. Since the project involves new construction of a mixed-use building with residential, hospitality, and retail uses, the New Construction rating system is the most suitable option. The other rating systems are not applicable because they are either specific to one use type (Retail and Hospitality) or to buildings that are not complete at the time of certification (Core and Shell Development).
Reference: LEED rating system selection guidance | U.S. Green Building Council LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide – U.S. Green Building Council LEED v4 Rating Systems | USGBC-LI
D
Explanation:
New Construction is the appropriate rating system for a new mixed-use building with 300,000 ft2 (27 871 m2) of residential units, 150,000 ft2 (13 935 m2) hotel and 50,000 ft2 (4 645 m2) of retail space. According to the LEED rating system selection guidance1, the New Construction rating system applies to buildings that are being newly constructed or going through a major renovation, and that include any of the following use types: office, retail, hospitality, education, residential, warehouse and distribution centers, or data centers2. The New Construction rating system can also be used for mixed-use buildings that have more than one use type3. Since the project involves new construction of a mixed-use building with residential, hospitality, and retail uses, the New Construction rating system is the most suitable option. The other rating systems are not applicable because they are either specific to one use type (Retail and Hospitality) or to buildings that are not complete at the time of certification (Core and Shell Development).
Reference: LEED rating system selection guidance | U.S. Green Building Council LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide – U.S. Green Building Council LEED v4 Rating Systems | USGBC-LI