CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter

Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 1 Answers:
1. Applicable to a unique project condition: Credit interpretation request (CIR)
2. To allow project teams to obtain technical guidance on how LEED requirements pertain to their
project: LEED interpretation
3. Undergo review by the USGBC: LEED interpretation
4. The results can be applied to all future LEED projects: LEED interpretation
5. There is an initial fee to be paid by the project team: Credit interpretation request (CIR)

Difference between a CIR and a LEED Interpretation:

CIR LEED INTERPRETATION

Applicable to only one project Precedent setting can be applied to all future LEED projects
Not published Published in a searchable Addenda Database on the USGBC
website
Delay: 3-4 weeks Delay: 3-6 months
Revised by GBCI Revised by USGBC
Initial fee Additional fee

A CIR must be submitted before becoming a LEED Interpretation.

Question 2 Answer: (D) LEED Platinum

Project Certification Levels:

• Certified: 40-49 points
• Silver: 50-59 points
• Gold: 60-79 points
• Platinum: 80+ points

Question 3 Answer: (C) Acoustical Performance

Question 4 Answers: (C and D)

Prerequisite: A mandatory project requirement that ensures a minimum level of achievement with a
category.

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 5 Answer: (B) Any project that is designed to move at any point in its lifetime may pursue
LEED certification.

Movable buildings are not eligible for LEED certification.

Question 6 Answer: (E) The project must have a bicycle repair shop.

Project within 180 m from a bicycle network connecting to at least:

• 10 diverse uses
• A school or employment center or
• A transit system
Bicycle Storage and Shower Rooms: Bike storage + Showers for 5 % of building occupants

Question 7 Answer: (B) Determine de square footage of all buildings within a particular area in square
meter per hectare.

Question 8 Answer: (B) 2%

Install electrical vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in 2% of all parking spaces used by the project.

Question 9 Answer: (E) A vegetated roof area not accessible to the building occupants.

Vegetated roof area can also be counted as open space if it is accessible to the building occupants and
the project has a density of 1.5 FAR or greater. Roofs can be either extensive or intensive systems.
Maintenance will be needed to keep plants healthy and the structure in good condition. Artificial turf is
not an acceptable strategy for vegetated roofs.

Question 10 Answer: (A) Use low-reflectance roofing material

Heat Island Reduction

Use high-reflectance roof
Provide shading over paving areas by using plants OR the following types of shading structures:
• For energy generation (solar panels)
• Solar reflectance (SR of 0.28)
• Vegetated
Use paving material with a solar reflectance of 0.28 or an open-grid system

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 11 Answer: (D) SCAQMD stands for South Coast Air Quality Management District

Question 12 Answers: (B, C and D)

Conserve water used for cooling tower makeup while controlling microbes, corrosion, and scale in the
condenser water system.

Question 13 Answer: (A) To not exceed uplight, backlight and glare ratings, based on the specific light
source
• Uplight OPTION 1. BUG RATING METHOD Do not exceed the following luminaire uplight
ratings, based on the specific light source installed in the luminaire
• Light Trespass OPTION 1. BUG RATING METHOD Do not exceed the following luminaire
backlight and glare ratings (based on the specific light source installed in the luminaire)

Question 14 Answer: (C) Install submeters on indoor water fixtures, process systems, and outdoor
irrigation equipment.

Submeters should be installed on specific equipment in order to identify leaks and track water usage.

Question 15 Answer: (C) The WaterSense label was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to identify these efficient fixtures and ensure that higher efficiency does not come at the cost of
performance.

ENERGY STAR is for appliances.

Question 16 Answer: (A) Fixture flush, duration of use, occupants, uses per person/day
Dual-flush toilet flush rates must be calculated as the average using a 1:2 (high flush: low flush) ratio.

The duration of use, number of users, and uses per person per day must be the same in both the
baseline and the design cases.

Question 17 Answer: (E) to show a reduction in water consumption compared to the baseline: is part
of the Credit, Indoor Water Use Reduction requirement, it’s not a Prerequisite requirement.

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 18 Answer: (C) Yes, but only if the project is under 20,000 ft2 (1 860 m2) and it’s for the
fundamental Cx.

Commissioning Authority by the end of the design development phase, engage a commissioning
authority with the following qualifications.
• The CxA must have documented commissioning process experience on at least two building
projects with a similar scope of work. The experience must extend from early design phase
through at least 10 months of occupancy.
• The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, or an employee
of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team,
or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team.
• For projects smaller than 20,000 square feet (1 860 square meters), the CxA may be a qualified
member of the design or construction team.
• In all cases, the CxA must report his or her findings directly to the owner. Project teams that
intend to pursue EA Credit Enhanced Commissioning should note a difference in the CxA
qualifications: for the credit, the CxA may not be an employee of the design or construction firm
nor a subcontractor to the construction firm.

Question 19 Answer: (E) CFCs; HCFCs

Question 20 Answer: (E) Equipment, such as standard refrigerators and small water coolers that
contain less than 50 pounds of refrigerant are exempt.

Existing small HVAC&R units (defined as containing less than 0.5 pound [225 grams] of refrigerant) and
other equipment, such as standard refrigerators, small water coolers, and any other equipment that
contains less than 0.5 pound (225 grams) of refrigerant, are exempt.

Question 21 Answers: (C) Halons and (E) HCFC-22

Natural refrigerants include carbon dioxide, ammonia, or propane.

Question 22 Answer: (C) ASHRAE 90.1-2010

Question 23 Answer: (E) Geothermal energy (ground-source heat pump).

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 24 Answer: (A) Green-e certification

Green power and RECs must be Green-e Energy certified or the equivalent. RECs can only be used to
mitigate the effects of Scope 2, electricity use. Carbon offsets may be used to mitigate Scope 1 or Scope
2 emissions on a metric ton of carbon dioxide–equivalent basis and must be Green-e Climate certified,
or the equivalent.

Question 25 Answer: (C) A specific period of time when the utility or independent service operator
calls for a change in the pattern or level of use in grid-based electricity from its program participants in
order to lower electricity use at times of high wholesale market prices or when system reliability is
jeopardized.

Question 26 Answer: (C) Full-Time Equivalent

Employees include part-time and full-time employees, and totals are calculated using full-time
equivalency (FTE).

A typical project can count FTE employees by adding full-time employees and part-time employees,
adjusted for their hours of work.

Question 27 Answers: (A, C and E)

GBCI is the only certification and credentialing body within the green business and sustainability
industry to exclusively administer project certifications and professional credentials and certificates of
LEED, PEER, WELL, SITES, and GRESB.

The Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) for LEED professionals is also overseen by GBCI. Continuing
education keeps LEED professionals at the forefront of the green building industry, driving ongoing
excellence in the marketplace and ensuring that LEED professionals are the most qualified in the field.

Question 28 Answer: (B) Upstream extraction, production, shipment to factory, manufacturer

For this credit, the scope of any EPD must be at least cradle-to-gate—that is, it must cover the part of a
product’s life cycle from extraction (“cradle”) and material processing to creation of the final product
ready for sale by the manufacturer (“gate”); it excludes transportation from the factory to distributors
or end customers. EPDs that cover only manufacture (“gate to gate”) do not contribute toward the
credit.

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 29 Answer: (E) 50% Renovation of an Abandoned or Blighted Building

Maintain at least 50% (surface area) of existing structure, enclosure, and interior structural elements.
The building must be renovated to a state of productive occupancy. Up to 25% of the building surface
area may be excluded from credit calculations because of deterioration or damage.

Question 30 Answer: (C) Global Warming Potential

Question 31 Answers: (A, D and E)

• Product-specific declaration with a publicly available, critically reviewed LCA = (1/4 of a product)
• Industry-wide (generic) EPD with third party certification (Type III) = (1/2 of a product)
• Product-specific Type III EPD = (whole product)

Question 32 Answer: (A, C and E)

Products originating on farms that meet the Sustainable Agriculture Standard must adhere to the
guidelines and policies of the Rainforest Alliance—including traceability, chain of custody and use of
seal—and receive pre-approval from the Rainforest Alliance in order to bear the Rainforest Alliance
Certified™ seal.

Federal Trade Commission, Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims is a referenced
standard for Building Product Disclosure and Optimization— Environmental Product Declarations.

Question 33 Answer: (C) Wood products from a local supplier (within 100 miles/160 km of the project
site).

Wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. 


Question 34 Answer: (D) 5

Use at least 20 (a total value of 20 products) different permanently installed products from at least five
different manufacturers.
Question 35 Answer: A

Manufacturer Inventory is part of the Material Ingredient Reporting (option 1)

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 36 Answer: (E) 90%

According to the EPA, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, where concentrations of pollutants
may be significantly higher than outdoor levels.

Question 37 Answer: (C) ASHRAE 62.1-2010

Question 38 Answer: (A) Use over ventilation to eliminate indoor pollutants.

Over-ventilation will not help. For example, natural ventilation may not be appropriate in high-pollution
areas, where outdoor air requires significant filtration. Outdoor air quality may affect mechanical
equipment filtration specifications. Project teams should aim for the correct amount of ventilation air
while minimizing over-ventilation and reducing energy consumption.

Question 39 Answer: (B)

Question 40 Answer: (D) Furniture

This is included in calculations if it is part of the scope of work, and the threshold is at least 90%, by cost.
• Interior paints and coatings applied on site: at least 90% by volume
• Flooring: 100%
• Ceilings, walls, thermal and acoustic insulation: 100%
• Composite wood: 100% not covered by other categories

Question 41 Answer: (B)

Question 42 Answer: (B)

Installing finishes, furniture and furnishings after testing or ending a flush-out is incorrect. It must be
done BEFORE testing or BEGINNING a flush-out.

Question 43 Answer: (C)

Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality ASHRAE 62.1-2010 is about Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air
Quality.

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 CaGBC’s LEED v4 Green Associate Kickstarter
Answers to 50 Practice Questions

Question 44 Answers: (A, B, C and E)

In all project types, well- designed acoustics can enhance the environmental quality of the space by
facilitating communication, increasing productivity, improving the well-being of workers, and/or aiding
in noise control and speech privacy.

Question 45 Answers: (A and C)

Question 46 Answer: (D) Maximize light fixture luminance.

Project teams should minimize the project’s luminance, which helps reduce disability and discomfort
glare. The threshold, 2,500 candelas per square meter, was selected because research by the Light Right
Consortium found that above that level, glare became objectionable.

Question 47 Answer: (D) Avoid incorporating atria, clerestories, courtyards, and shallow floor plates.

Project teams should consider incorporating atria, clerestories, courtyards, and shallow floor plates to
improve daylight penetration and distribution.

Question 48 Answer: (E) Locate open-plan areas, including classrooms, near the core, while placing
private offices at the perimeter.

Project teams should pay particular attention to maintaining views for spaces near the core. One
successful strategy is to locate open-plan areas, including classrooms, at the perimeter, while placing
private offices and unoccupied areas near the core.

Question 49 Answer: (B) Tinted windows to add a variety of colors in the façade is not recommended
because view glazing must provide a clear image of the exterior, not obstructed by frits, fibers,
patterned glazing, or added tints that distort color balance.

Question 50 Answer: (A) They are the same for all LEED projects.

They address geographically specific environmental, social equity, and public health priorities.

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