Guide · Updated June 2026
LEED v5 AP BD+C exam guide: dates, format, and the full domain breakdown
The LEED AP Building Design + Construction credential moves to LEED v5 with a beta exam that opens June 30, 2026. Everything below comes from the official USGBC LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook and GBCI's beta announcements — with sources at the bottom.
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| v5 beta exam opens | June 30, 2026 |
| Beta data-collection window | June 30 – August 31, 2026 |
| Beta results released | Tentatively December 2026 |
| Final v5 exam publishes | Toward the end of 2026 |
Candidates who test during the data-collection phase get a 30% discount on the exam registration fee and must complete their attempt inside the two-month window.
Exam format
100 multiple-choice questions in a 2-hour period (plan for 2h10m with the optional tutorial). The exam mixes scored and unscored questions randomly — you won't know which is which. A scaled score of 170 out of 200 passes. For the v5 beta specifically, the final passing score is established after the beta period from candidate data, which is why results take until roughly December.
The eight knowledge domains (85 scored items)
| Domain | Scored items |
|---|---|
| Energy and Atmosphere | 18 |
| Materials and Resources | 13 |
| Indoor Environmental Quality | 13 |
| Sustainable Sites | 9 |
| Water Efficiency | 9 |
| Integrative Process Planning and Assessments | 8 |
| Location and Transportation | 8 |
| LEED Process | 7 |
The practical takeaway: Energy and Atmosphere alone is worth more than the bottom two domains combined. In v5 that means decarbonization, electrification, operational and embodied carbon — weight your study time accordingly. The remaining 15 of the 100 delivered items are unscored field-test questions distributed across the same domains.
How to prepare for an exam this new
The catch with a version-launch window: most prep on the market is still written for v4.1, which has a different domain structure (nine domains, including one — Project Surroundings and Public Outreach — that no longer exists in v5). Before buying any prep, check which version it targets.
Exam Relay's LEED v5 AP BD+C deck is built directly from the v5 handbook specification above — source-cited flashcards weighted to the official distribution, three timed 100-question practice exams, and free updates through 2026 (including when USGBC publishes the final passing score).
Studying for the June 30 beta?
See the AP BD+C study deck →Sources: USGBC LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook (usgbc.gitbook.io/leed-candidate-handbooks); GBCI "LEED v5 beta exams to launch in 2026" and v5 exam registration announcements (gbci.org); USGBC LEED v5 exam information (support.usgbc.org). LEED® is a trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. Exam Relay is not affiliated with USGBC or GBCI; study materials only.