Guide to the LEED AP Building Design and Construction (BD&C) Exam

Is this guide all you need for the exam? No.... But is very helpful in pointing you into the direction of how the test questions will be structured. I found the book assisted me to focus on how/why the different synergies are related and of importance. That is why I liked this guide (after the first time thru). The LEED program is all about one credit relating to another - but that isn't apparent in just reading/studying the USBG material. This book does not follow the rigid format of the USBG, but gives insight on how - for example - "Vegetative Roofs" also effects "Optimized Energy Performance", "Heat Island Effect" and "Storm Water Quantity" are interrelated. This book helped to train my mind on how to analyze the questions.Advice for new applicants for LEED:How I approached study was to read a section of the USGB guide first, taking notes and highlighting. Then I would read this same section of this guide. I found I was acing the the short quizzes in the guide. But once thru reading all gazillion pages of USBG, then going back and retaking the short quizzes, not so good. It allowed me to focus on areas that I lacked knowledge in and need further study.I paid for the exam and required USGB books out of pocket. I looked at it that I wanted to maximize my probability of passing given the budget i had. I took no online course nor schools. I took extensive notes. I took every FREE online practice test I could find - and took them again. I re-read this guide.Passed with a 92.This review is for LEED version 3.0. USBC has now updated to version 4. I would look/buy for this same guide once available for the newest LEED requirements. Great hammer in the toolbox!!!!

This study guide was a helpful summary, but to learn the information on the exam you need the LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction from the USGBC. I read this book first but found myself confused about a lot of the information. I then read the USGBC reference book which was much more detailed about each credit and clarified a lot of the information, and gave resources for further digging. The summaries of each credit at the end of each chapter of this book were the most helpful. The appendices were good too. I found quite a few errors which made it hard to trust all the information. If you outline and summarize the reference book yourself, you would do just as well without this book. This book is a good supplement, but don't rely on it alone. Get the $200 USGBC Reference Guide!

Today I Passed the LEED AP BD+C with a score of 175...PROS : This book has a great organisational structure...easy to understand , it has flashcards & study worksheets...the questions were formatted exam like interface..I like it...CONS: doesn't cover all the study materials (in exam I got 2 questions , one is to caclulate the amount of indoor air required to flush a room..the other question was to calculate the baseline water usage for a specific building based on another formula...both were not mentioned in the book)Conclution....use the book as a supplemental not as a reference guide,,,I feel lucky to pass the exam with this book only!!!Wish you all Luck

A must-have for any preparing for this exam!The author does an amazing job of grouping similar credits and presenting them in a concise manner. The individual sections helps the reader focus on the fundamental aspects of the subject material. Real-life examples of how these credits can be achieved were provided with examples of LEED certified projects.The questions at the end of each chapter targets the core concepts and allows the reader to analyze the material from a different perspective. The flash cards (sheets at the end of the book that can be cut out) are an added bonus and makes studying much more convenient.Using this (plus on-line practice tests) for 4 months, I was able to achieve a 186! Bottom line, I should have bought this book earlier!

This is a great book that I use all the time in my studying for LEED BD+C exam. It's organized really well, illustrated with numerous examples making, easy language, apply the logic behind every credit.... it very easy to use. The only thing is not covered widely is how to perform the difficult calculations, you can use this study guide with the BD+C reference manual + any reputable simulation exams and you will do well in the exam.I hope if the Michelle Cottrell expands his resources to cover all LEED specialties.

That's a correlation, not causation. I'm pretty smart, but I think the book helped as well. Although I will say, there were things on the test not highlighted in the book. Additionally, I noted a few random errors throughout that could screw people up. Overall it was decent.

Don't buy it for v4 exams, its an old version, so it doesn't contain updated info.This version mention 7 MPRs, this has been reduced to 3 MPRs, this version indicates LEED AP exams require candidates to comply with LEED project hours and this is no longer required.This book doesn't include Location and Transportarion credit categories and this is a recent addition to the LEED rating sistems.Just buy the LEED reference guide and study the references listed under the candidates handbook.

This book is the best book I found for studying for the LEED AP BD+C exam. The copy I got was printed way out of order though, so make sure you check that your copy is printed correctly.