Eligibility Requirements for Green Associates
I know of three individulas (am sure like many others) who took the LEED V2.2 test last year but missed passing grade by just a few points. I know that all of these people are already working in building industry, have spent countless hours and a lot of money to study and take the V2.2 last year test with the hopes of getting their LEED AP accredition.
I have made several calls to USGBC and asked that since these individuals have already gone through rigorous efforts to take the test last year, can they be considered as qualified and eligible candidates to take the Green Associates Test bypassing the criteria that is spelled out in the Green Associates handbook.
USGBC's/GBCI's response has been to follow the three criteria as spelled out in the Green Associates' Handbook that says: 1. Have experience in the form of involvement on a LEED-registered project, 2. Be employed (or have been previously employed) in a sustainable of work; or 3. Be enrolled in (or have completed )an education program that addresses green building principles.
It just seems totally unfair for USGBC/GBCI to preclude these individuals from qualifying to directly appear for the Green Associates' exam.
USGBC/GBCI should amend the eligibility requirements and add fourth criteria to allow the individuals who took the V2.2 test but failed, to be eligible to take the Green Associates test any time.
Does anyone agree with me? Does anybody have any influence at USGBCGBCI to implement such a request for the amendment?
4 Comments
LEED Green Associate eligibility requirements
I would agree that the LEED Green Associate credential should be fairly open, although I think some limits like those in place make sense. So far I haven't heard specific cases of individuals being unfairly denied.
Shriram, can you explain why the individuals you're referring do don't qualify? If they're in the building industry and have anything to do with sustainability (and it sounds like they do) they should be fine. Have they actually been denied by GBCI?
By the way, we have a webinar recording that discusses LEED GA exam prep and eligiblity.
Tristan,
Thanks for your quick response. The three indivisuals are my collegues at work and I was training them for LEED AP's exam. (Seven other employees have passed the previous LEED AP exam under my training.). We are a firm of construction management acting as Owner's reps. The requirement for one's involvement with sustainability is quite vague. The three individuals who are all construction project managers are working on projects that are not LEED registered and I do not know how can they prove to GBCI that they are connected with sustainability.
Actually, these days, the very fact that every constructioin project whether it is LEED registered or not, has some sort of sustainibilty component in it, I am telling them to register for the GA exam, but they are reluctant to do it due to the fear of being denied. They know so much more about the LEED and sustainibilty than a lot of people who have to take the classes just to prove that they can qualify for the GA exam.
Actually these guys are now ready to take the new AP exam. When I called GBCI and told them that these individuals regularly attend the study sessions that I organize in our company, their response is that they need to take the study courses approved by GBCI.
Any way! That's my problem with GBCI and USGBC. You can not use logic with the GBCI's customer service and can't talk to anyone over there to discuss this issue, hence seeking the help of this forum.
I am not GBCI so I don't have the final word, but it seems to me that your colleagues should easily qualify for the LEED GA, but not the LEED AP. The LEED GA was made for people like this, in fact. In their applications I would just recommend they emphasize the "green" work that the firm is doing, even if it's not LEED registered.
I don't know why GBCI would say that only their study courses are allowed. That doesn't make any sense. You can study however you want.
Have them go ahead and register for the exam! They won't know until they try.
Shriram,
If you take a look at the Eligibility Requirements on page 6 of the LEED GA Candidate Handbook you'll see the requirements for establishing eligibility through an educational program. I couldn’t find any mention there of needing to be a USGBC approved provider.
Many firms provide in-house training sessions like yours to prepare staff for the exam that establish eligibility without being approved providers; it sounds like your training may meet the requirements if you are able to provide the documentation listed on page 6.
Incidentally, since building codes have been around from the time of Hammurabi, they’ve had longer to refine their language to be more precise, whereas LEED is a mere decade old, and tends to have more ambiguity than most practitioners would like.
The challenge with any kind of code or policy ambiguity is knowing when to ask for a ruling or interpretation, and when to determine independantly that you are meeting the intent of the requirements and can provide documentation to show that. Hopefully this forum can give you a better sense of those nuances!
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