Professional Project Experience Program

GreenStep's LEED Project Experience Program, in partnership with Green-Buildings.com, and the USGBC Northern California Chapter provides LEED AP exam candidates with an opportunity to actively work on a LEED registered project, thus qualifying participants to take the LEED AP exam while gaining practical, hands-on experience.

"GreenStep's Professional Project Experience Program provided great hands-on, real world experience on an actual LEED project. It helped me better understand the entire LEED process including credit calculations, LEED templates and LEED Online. Alex, the Project Team Administrator, was very knowledgeable of everything LEED and conveyed the information in an efficient manner. His letter of attestation provided upon completion of the program was comprehensive and effective. GBCI approved my application within one day of submittal and I passed the LEED AP exam on my first try several weeks later."
- Sterling Steele

By taking part in our unique five-week program, LEED AP candidates learn by doing. Each team member is assigned a project role on LEED Online, participates in a series of weekly online project meetings, and completes tasks that contribute to the project's certification efforts including:

  • Performing LEED credit calculations
  • Navigating LEED Online
  • Evaluating credit costs
  • Trouble shooting potential setbacks
  • Reviewing documentation for compliance
  • Reviewing Credit Interpretation Requests (CIR)
  • Completing LEED Templates

Program participants not only qualify to take the LEED AP exam, they gain the practical experience necessary to guide future projects through the LEED certification process. As an added benefit, the knowledge and skills developed throughout the program have proven effective at preparing candidates to pass the LEED AP specialty exams.

For more information on the program please review the Program Details & FAQ sections below.
To register please visit our registration page at Green-Buildings.com.

Program Details

Program Background

With the launch of LEED v3 in 2009, any candidate wishing to take the LEED AP exam must have previous experience on a LEED Registered Project within the past 3 years. This experience must be documented in the form of a letter of attestation from a supervisor, client or project manager that describes the candidate's involvement in the project and verifies the candidate's project role on LEED Online.

In addition to the hands-on, real world LEED project experience gained through our program, GreenStep provides participants with a letter of completion which satisfies the eligibility requirements for any one of the five LEED AP specialty exams.

Program Cost & Registration

The cost of the five-week program is $400. Registration is handled by our partner Green-Buildings.com.
Click here to be directed to the registration page on their website.

Our Guaranty

GreenStep stands behind its program 100%. Upon successful completion of the GreenStep Professional Project Experience Program, team members will receive a Letter of Attestation from GreenStep to submit to GBCI as part of the LEED exam application process. If your Letter of Attestation from GreenStep is not accepted by GBCI, the original purchase price of the program will be refunded. Each and every program participant that has applied for the LEED AP with specialty exam to date (over 40 in total) has had his or her exam application approved by GBCI, including the applications that were randomly selected for audit.

Length of Program & Start Date

In order for participants to fully engage in various stages of a LEED project, the online project meetings take place over 5 weeks every Tuesday evening from 6:00pm to 7:30pm Pacific Standard Time via web conferencing. A new program will begin approximately every 6-7 weeks; however, space is limited. To register for the next available program, please visit our registration page at Green-Buildings.com and click on the GreenStep Professional Project Experience Program link.

Intended Audience

GreenStep's program is intended for anyone seeking to earn the LEED AP credential, as well as for building professionals who are looking to go beyond the basics and gain practical, hands-on experience on a LEED Registered Project.

Program Size / Availability

This program is limited in size. Once project roles are filled, candidates wishing to participate may contact Green-Buildings.com to be added to a waiting list for future GreenStep Professional Project Experience Programs.

Recent Participant Reviews

"I thought this was a very informative program, well presented, which provided me with numerous tools to assist me in the performance of the LEED certification process. The actual hands-on experience of performing various types of calculations and the use of the actual templates within LEED On-line were invaluable. My application to GBCI for the LEED AP specialty exam was approved within 24 hours."
- J. Steven McClure, P.E.


"The program was money well spent. It offered actual and varied experience allowing me to gain application approval for the LEED AP exam the day I received my attestation letter. Many thanks!"
- Sean Weeks PE, LEED GA


"My application for the LEED BD+C exam was approved within a day of submitting my letter of completion from the Professional Project Experience Program. Thanks a lot for your guidance and help throughout the program! In many respects, the knowledge and real-world project experience I gained from participating in your program may be more important than the exam itself"
- Teng Zeng


"The good news is that I took and passed the LEED AP exam last Friday. It was, as you said it would be, tough. However, thanks to my project experience with you, I was ready. Thanks again for a great Project Experience Program; I would not have passed (not on the first go-around, at any rate) without your help and guidance. Now to change the world..."
- Tom Shoemaker



Program FAQ

Will participants work on an actual LEED registered project?

Yes, participants will work on a real, live LEED registered project and will be assigned project team roles on LEED Online.

Is this program officially recognized by GBCI and is there a guarantee that my application will be approved?

GBCI does not formally endorse any program nor do they guarantee that anyone's application will be accepted regardless of his or her level of LEED project experience. However, we are very confident that the LEED project experience gained through this unique program goes above and beyond the eligibility requirements outlined by GBCI. Each and every program participant that has applied for the LEED AP with specialty exam to date (over 40 in total) has had his or her exam application approved by GBCI, including the applications that were randomly selected for audit.

Can you tell me more about the LEED project we'll be working on?

The LEED registered project is currently pursuing LEED for Commercial Interiors certification; however, the program and related project assignments involve LEED credits and concepts that span the LEED NC, LEED CI, LEED CS, LEED EBOM & LEED for Schools Rating Systems. Each team member will be assigned a role on LEED Online and work on credits within each of the 5 main sections of LEED: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resource and Indoor Environmental Quality. The practical knowledge and experience that participants gain can be applied to all types of future LEED projects and will assist participants with preparing for any one of the LEED AP specialty exams. Most of the work is completed during the design phase of the project. Note: The project does not have to receive certification before participants are eligible to take the exam.

Will the program also help me prepare for the exam?

While exam preparation is not the primary purpose of our program, the participant feedback we've received indicates that the program has proven effective and preparing people to pass the various LEED AP specialty exams. We believe the best way to learn is by doing and many of the project-specific activities participants complete directly correlate to knowledge needed to pass the AP exams. The project team leader, Alex Spilger, has taken and passed the LEED CI, NC, Green Associate, BD+C, ID+C & EBOM exams with a high score of 199 out of 200 and can offer insight on how to best prepare for each exam.

Which Specialty Exam / LEED System is this program geared towards?

The program involves credit calculations and project assignments relating the LEED CI, NC, CS, EBOM and Schools Rating Systems and to some extent covers key information found on the BD+C, ID+C and EBOM exams. Most of the credits participants will be working on are consistent across the various Rating Systems; therefore, much of the content will be relevant and applicable regardless of which specialty exam participants plan to take.

What will be provided to participants at the end of the program?

Upon successful completion of the program, we provide team members with a thorough letter describing in detail the team member's extended involvement in the LEED project and how his or her efforts helped complete specific credit requirements and move the project closer towards LEED Certification. This letter can be uploaded during the exam application process and serves to document compliance with the exam eligibility requirements.

What if I can't participate in one or more of the five online project meetings that take place each Tuesday evening?

Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all 5 weekly online meetings. However, we understand that circumstances may arise that prevent project team members from attending one of the meetings. For this reason, participants will be allowed to miss 1 of the 5 online meetings, pending approval. If a participant has to miss more than 1 meeting, they are encouraged to sign up for the next program. Participants that miss one of the project meetings are still responsible for completing all weekly project assignments.

Do I need to purchase the Reference Guide or other materials to participate in the program?

Participants are not required to purchase Reference Guides or other materials as part of the program. However, we highly recommend that participants interested in preparing for one of the five LEED AP specialty exams purchase the corresponding Reference Guide as a study tool. The large majority of questions on each LEED AP specialty exam come from the associated LEED Reference Guide (BD+C, ID+C, EBOM, Homes, ND).

Does this program qualify me to take the LEED Green Associate exam?

Yes, our program satisfies the eligibility requirements of both the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP specialty exams.

Do I have to pass the LEED Green Associate exam before participating in the program?

No, there are no prerequisites for this program.

What happens if for some reason GBCI denies my application?

GreenStep stands behind its program 100%. Upon successful completion of the program, we provide team members with a thorough letter of attestation describing in detail the team member's extended involvement in the LEED project and how his or her efforts helped complete specific credit requirements and move the project closer towards LEED Certification. If your Letter of Attestation from GreenStep is not accepted by GBCI, the original purchase price of the program will be refunded. Each and every program participant that has applied for the LEED AP with specialty exam to date (over 40 in total) has had his or her exam application approved by GBCI, including the applications that were randomly selected for audit.

Will there be future Professional Project Experience Programs offered by GreenStep if I am unable to participate in the upcoming 5 week program?

Yes. GreenStep's Professional Project Experience Program is offered year round and will begin a new 5 week program approximately every 6-7 weeks. Each program is limited in size. Once team roles are filled, candidates wishing to participate may contact Green-Buildings.com to be added to a waiting list for future GreenStep Professional Project Experience Programs.

Is this program eligible for Continuing Education Units?

This program currently offers up to 5 Continuing Education Units via the self-reporting process. We are in the process of applying for additional continuing education units and are awaiting approval by GBCI.

What study resources do you recommend for the LEED AP specialty exams?

In addition to GreenStep's industry leading LEED exam training workshops and practice exams, we recommend participants purchase the LEED Reference Guide that corresponds with the LEED AP specialty exam they plan to take.

Where can I purchase the LEED Reference Guide?

The LEED Reference Guides (also called LEED Reference Manuals) can be purchased from the USGBC Store at: www.usgbc.org. Participants are not required to purchase the LEED Reference Guide for the program.

Where can I find out more information about the LEED exam?

Go to the Green Building Certification Institute's website: www.gbci.org