LEED AP Candidate Handbook: Rules & Policies [2026]
A. Togay Koralturk
Last updated on July 29, 2026
6 min read
By the time you register for a LEED AP exam, you have been through this once: the Green Associate had its own rulebook, and the AP level has one too. This guide explains the LEED AP candidate handbook policy by policy: eligibility and the Green Associate prerequisite, the identification rules, registration and the 12-month window, the fee and refund tiers, and exam day with its retake rules.
What is the LEED AP candidate handbook?
The LEED AP candidate handbook, formally the LEED AP with Specialty candidate handbook, is the official policy document for all the specialty exams, published by USGBC: it covers eligibility, identification, registration, scheduling, refund rules, exam-day procedures, and score reporting.
One handbook serves every specialty: BD+C, O+M, ID+C, ND, and Homes all run on the same rulebook, with the exam content differing by specialty. Below, we walk through the policies in the order you will meet them, flagging what differs from the entry level.
Who is eligible for a LEED AP exam?
Exam eligibility: You must be 18 or older and hold an active LEED Green Associate credential at registration (or an active LEED AP with specialty credential). Prior LEED project experience is recommended by USGBC as the exam tests practitioner competency.
Exam tip: Your LEED Green Associate credential must be active when you register for the AP exam. If it has lapsed, you must bring it current before the AP path opens.
The Green Associate exam is open to everyone; the AP exam assumes you have already earned the first credential and kept it active, which is one more reason the Green Associate versus LEED AP decision is really a sequencing question rather than a choice between alternatives. The recommendation about project experience is honest as well: the AP exam tests the rating system at working depth, as our guide to how hard the LEED AP BD+C exam is shows, though with the right materials it is very manageable even without project experience. As at the entry level, you also agree to GBCI's Disciplinary and Exam Appeals Policy and the credential maintenance requirements during registration.
Ready to earn your LEED credential?
Trusted by 200,000+ Learners
The identification rules
The AP handbook's identification policy matches the entry level's, and it is strict: one valid government-issued ID in its original laminated form, carrying your name exactly as registered in Roman characters, a recent photo, your signature, and issue and expiration dates. Photocopies, duplicates, and digital IDs are not accepted.
The practical rules to arrange in advance: passports, driver's licenses with printed signatures and dates, green cards, military IDs with dates, and national IDs typically qualify, while Social Security cards and phone photos of documents do not. If your primary ID lacks one required element, a secondary ID carrying the same name can supply it. And the rule with a deadline attached: if the name on your ID does not exactly match your registration, you must notify GBCI at least 10 business days before your exam date, or you will be turned away at check-in and forfeit the exam fee. Ten minutes with your ID during registration week settles all of this permanently.
Registration, scheduling, and the 12-month window
You register through your usgbc.org account, receive an eligibility ID, and schedule with Prometric at a test center or through the ProProctor online proctoring application; a standard registration is valid for 12 months from the registration date. Miss the window, and the fee is forfeited.
The mechanics mirror the Green Associate process: your USGBC account name must match your ID exactly, registration is completed under the Credentials section, and the eligibility ID it produces is what you use to schedule the appointment at prometric.com/gbci. The fee is $350 at the standard rate and $250 for USGBC members, with the full schedule, discounts, and refund rules in our LEED AP BD+C exam cost guide. The 12-month validity deserves the same respect at this level: register when you are one to two months from ready rather than far in advance, a timeline that matches our LEED AP BD+C study plan.
Reschedule, cancellation, and refund rules
The refund policy is tiered by how far ahead you act: rescheduling or cancelling is free 46 or more days before your exam, costs $30 at 30–45 days, costs $60 at 4–29 days, and is not possible at all in the final 3 days. The tiers have been in effect since January 1, 2025, and they match the Green Associate policy.
| Days before your exam date | Cancellation | Reschedule |
|---|---|---|
| 46 days or more | Free | Free |
| 30–45 days | $30 fee | $30 fee |
| 4–29 days | $60 fee | $60 fee |
| 0–3 days | Not possible | Not possible |
The final tier is absolute: after midnight on the third day before your appointment, the date is locked, and missing the exam forfeits the full fee. With a $350 registration on the line, the arithmetic favors deciding early; moving the date at $60 four days out is an annoyance, while a missed appointment is a full re-registration. Schedule against evidence, not optimism: when your practice exam scores clear our 80% benchmark consistently, book with confidence.
Exam day, scoring, and retakes
Plan to commit about 2 hours and 10 minutes to a specialty exam appointment: an optional 10-minute tutorial followed by the 2-hour, 100-question exam, scored on a scale of 125 to 200 with 170 required to pass, closed book. Breaks are possible at a test center, but the testing clock does not stop.
The retake policy is identical to the entry level, and it has teeth at this fee: each attempt requires registering and paying again, and after three unsuccessful attempts within 12 months of the first failure, a 90-calendar-day waiting period applies before you can register again. Passing once is the affordable path, and it is a preparation problem with a known solution: materials that teach the v5 prerequisites and credits as one connected system, plus enough timed practice to clear the passing level comfortably. Our LEED AP BD+C Complete Exam Prep Pack covers the full exam scope and is backed by the Projectific Passing Guarantee: pass on your first attempt, or get a full refund. And if you are still working toward the prerequisite credential, the entry level has a rulebook of its own, explained in our guide to the LEED Green Associate candidate handbook.
Ready to earn your LEED credential?
Trusted by 200,000+ Learners
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the LEED AP candidate handbook?
USGBC publishes the LEED AP with Specialty candidate handbook free on its candidate handbook site (usgbc.gitbook.io/leed-candidate-handbooks). One handbook covers all the specialty exams, and the current edition there supersedes the outdated PDF copies found elsewhere online.
Do I need the LEED Green Associate before taking a LEED AP exam?
Yes. The handbook requires an active LEED Green Associate credential at the time of exam registration, or an existing active LEED AP with specialty credential. You must also be 18 years of age or older.
Is work experience required for the LEED AP exam?
No formal project-experience requirement exists, but the handbook strongly recommends prior LEED project experience because the exam tests practitioner-level competency. With materials that teach the rating system at that depth, candidates without project experience pass as well.
How long is a LEED AP exam registration valid?
A standard registration is valid for 12 months from the registration date. If you do not test within that window, the registration and its fee are forfeited, and you must register and pay again.
What does it cost to reschedule a LEED AP exam?
Nothing if you act 46 or more days before your exam date, $30 at 30 to 45 days, and $60 at 4 to 29 days. In the final 3 days, rescheduling and cancellation are not possible, and a missed appointment forfeits the full fee.
What happens if I fail a LEED AP exam?
You register and pay the full fee again for each new attempt. After three unsuccessful attempts within 12 months of the first failed attempt, a 90-calendar-day waiting period applies before you can register again.
LEED v5 AP BD+C Exam: What Changed & Key Dates [2026]
The LEED AP BD+C exam moved to v5 on June 30, 2026. Get the key dates, the beta exam discount, what the new exam tests, and who actually needs to act now.
How to Study for the LEED AP BD+C Exam: Full Plan [2026]
How to study for the LEED AP BD+C exam: a full four-week plan, study materials that match v5 depth, and the readiness benchmark that tells you to book it.
How Hard Is the LEED AP BD+C Exam? Pass Rate & Score [2026]
How hard is the LEED AP BD+C exam? The format, the passing score, why no official pass rate exists, and how to know when you are truly ready to pass it.
