LEED Accredited Professional

Updated on 1 October 2026. What’s new: the exam now runs on LEED v5 with eight content areas, and Energy and Atmosphere carries the most questions, 21 of the 85 scored.

Yes, 30 days is enough for LEED AP O+M if you already hold the LEED Green Associate credential and can give it about an hour to an hour and a half on weekdays and a longer block at weekends. The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, and you need 170 out of 200. It now runs on LEED v5. This plan spends the days where the marks are: Energy and Atmosphere first, then Indoor Environmental Quality.

Most 30-day plans on the internet are a list of weeks with a vague topic each. That is not enough for this exam, because LEED AP O+M is the specialty exam for people who run buildings that already exist. Its questions assume you have seen a utility bill, a refrigerant log, a waste hauler's report and a cleaning contract. So the plan below uses a different idea. You pick one building you know, real or imagined, and you study every area of the exam against the records that building would produce.

Below you will find the version question first, because it decides which books you open. Then the exam facts, the split of the scored questions, a day-by-day calendar, and the practice and exam-day routine for the last week.

Updated on 22 September 2026. What’s new: updated for the LEED v5 AP BD+C exam, now a standalone English-only beta after LEED v4 testing ended on 28 June 2026.

If you are getting ready for the LEED AP BD+C exam this autumn, you are getting ready for a LEED v5 exam. USGBC stopped offering the LEED v4 version on 28 June 2026, and the only Building Design and Construction exam on offer today is the LEED v5 beta: 100 questions in two hours, 170 out of 200 to pass, and no score on the day. This guide explains the new eight-domain outline and gives ten study tips written for it.

Which version of the LEED AP BD+C exam can you take right now?

The answer depends on the date you test, not the date you register, and it changed twice in 2026. We checked USGBC's LEED v5 exam information page (last updated 14 August 2026) and GBCI's LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook (updated September 2026) in September 2026. Here is the position they describe.

LEED v4 is gone for BD+C

The last day to register for the LEED v4 AP with Specialty exams was 24 June 2026, and the last day to sit one was 28 June 2026. Anyone who had registered but not tested by then was moved automatically to the English version of the LEED v5 exam, keeping the original 12-month eligibility period. There is no route back to the v4 paper, even if your project work is still on LEED v4.

Preparing for the LEED Accredited Professional Operations and Maintenance (LEED AP O+M) certification exam requires dedication and strategic planning. This certification is vital for professionals aiming to demonstrate their expertise in sustainable operations and maintenance of existing buildings. To help you succeed, here are some effective study tips to guide your preparation process.

What Is the LEED AP O+M Certification All About?

The LEED Accredited Professional Operations and Maintenance (AP O+M) certification evaluates the expertise and competencies necessary to participate effectively in the design process, advocate for integrated design strategies, and streamline the application and certification procedures for LEED projects.

AP O+M Fees:

• Combined Exam: $550 (reduced to $400 for members of the U.S. Green Building Council)

• Specialty Exam Only: $350 (reduced to $250 for USGBC members)

Prerequisites/Eligibility Requirements:

• Current Credential: Must possess a valid LEED Green Associate credential or take and pass the exam simultaneously.