USGBC LEED AP Homes Study Guide

The LEED AP Homes exam is a 100-question, two-hour test that you pass with 170 out of 200. It is the USGBC specialty credential for people who design, build, rate or manage single-family houses and multifamily housing, and it still runs on the LEED v4 rating system rather than v5. The combined route costs $550 ($400 for USGBC members); specialty-only costs $350 ($250 for members).

Most of what you will read about LEED exams in 2026 concerns the new v5 versions of the Green Associate, BD+C, O+M and ID+C tests. Homes is the odd one out, and that changes what you should study. This guide sets out who the credential suits, how a residential LEED project differs from a commercial one, where the 85 scored questions come from, what the fees and rules are, and a six-week plan built around the topics that carry the most marks.

Who is LEED AP Homes for, and what must you hold before you book?

LEED AP Homes suits anyone whose day job puts them close to a house or an apartment block that is aiming for LEED certification. That includes residential architects, builders and site supervisors, framing, insulation and HVAC subcontractors, energy raters, developers, affordable-housing managers and the sustainability consultants who prepare the paperwork. Real estate agents who want to sell green homes credibly take it too, although the exam is written for people who work on projects rather than on listings.