Data hub · Updated June 2026

LEED Green Associate exam: pass rates, costs & key statistics (2026)

Every number on this page traces to a published source, linked inline and listed at the bottom. Where a figure is not officially published — most notably the pass rate — we say so instead of inventing one.

Summary: the numbers at a glance

What is the LEED Green Associate pass rate?

GBCI and USGBC do not publish an official pass rate for the LEED Green Associate exam. Any site quoting a specific industry-wide percentage is quoting an unsourced number. What does exist: prep providers publish self-reported pass rates for their own customers. GBES advertises a 95% pass rate among students who complete its program, and Projectific advertises 99%. Treat both as marketing claims about self-selected cohorts who bought prep — not as the odds facing a random candidate.

The final v5 Green Associate exam is now available, with scores upon completion. Verified against USGBC's September 28, 2026 update. USGBC does not publish a current Green Associate pass rate.

How much does the LEED Green Associate exam cost?

Per USGBC's official exam page:

• $250 — standard registration
• $200 — employees of USGBC member organizations
• $100 — full- or part-time students with valid ID (USGBC student pricing)
• The Green Associate beta discount is historical; confirm current final-exam fees directly with USGBC.

The fee buys exactly one attempt. Fail, and the full fee is due again for each retake — which is the real argument for over-preparing. A $27–$37 prep budget against a $250 retake risk is the cheapest insurance in this process.

How many questions, and how long is the exam?

The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, closed-book, delivered at Prometric centers or via remote proctoring. On the v5 exam, 85 of the 100 items are scored; the remainder are unscored pretest items you can't identify during the test. Per the USGBC LEED v5 Green Associate Candidate Handbook, the 85 scored items break down across 8 domains:

That's 72 minutes per 60 questions of pace — comfortable if you've drilled timed practice, brutal if your first timed run is exam day.

What score do you need to pass?

Scores are reported on a scaled range of 125 to 200, with 170 or higher passing. This is a scaled score, not a raw 85% — the conversion from raw correct answers to the 125–200 scale is calibrated by USGBC from candidate performance data. The final v5 Green Associate exam is now available, with scores upon completion. Verified against USGBC's September 28, 2026 update. Practical target: hold 75%+ on full-length timed practice exams before you book.

When did the v5 exam launch — key transition dates

• April 21, 2026 — last day to register for the v4 Green Associate
• April 26, 2026 — last day to sit the v4 Green Associate
• April 28 – June 30, 2026 — v5 Green Associate beta testing window (registration mid-February through June 25)
• June 30 – October 27, 2026 — v5 LEED AP with Specialty beta testing window
• September 2026 — final v5 Green Associate exam available with immediate scores
• February 2027 — v5 AP beta scores tentatively released

All dates from USGBC's LEED v5 exam information page. The final Green Associate exam already provides immediate scores. AP beta scores remain delayed.

How big is the LEED credential — market statistics

From USGBC's 2024 Impact Report:

• 205,000 LEED credential holders worldwide
• 195,000+ LEED projects spanning 186 countries
• 29 billion square feet of LEED-certified space
• 547,000+ residential units meeting green standards
• 330+ LEED-certified cities and communities
• 5,300 USGBC member organizations
• Typical LEED buildings: 25% less energy consumption, 34% lower carbon emissions, 11% less water use

What do LEED-credentialed professionals earn?

Honest framing first: the Green Associate is an entry credential held alongside a job, not a job title — so "LEED salary" data describes roles where the credential appears in postings, not a premium the certificate causes by itself. With that caveat:

• ZipRecruiter lists the national average for LEED Green Associate roles at $86,212/year ($34.92/hour) as of November 2025.
• Glassdoor reports an average of $70,096/year for LEED certification associate roles.
• For the adjacent management track: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $106,980 for construction managers (May 2024), with employment projected to grow 9% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than average.

How long do people study?

Prep providers converge on 2–6 weeks: roughly 2–3 weeks for people already in green building, 3–4 weeks for construction/real-estate/facilities professionals, and 4–6 weeks for students and career-changers (Projectific v5 exam guide). The v5 transition pushes most people toward the longer end — memorized v4 credit checklists don't transfer.

Sources

• USGBC — LEED v5 exam information (exam availability, transition dates and score timing)
• USGBC — About the LEED Green Associate exam (fees, format, retake policy)
• USGBC — Discounted student pricing
• Green Building Law Update — USGBC 2024 Impact Report figures (credential holders, projects, square footage)
• Projectific — LEED Green Associate v5 exam guide (question count, duration, scoring, domain weights, study durations)
• ZipRecruiter — LEED Green Associate salary · Glassdoor — LEED certification associate salary
• BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Construction Managers
• GBES and Projectific (provider-claimed student pass rates)

LEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. Exam Relay is an independent study resource, not affiliated with or endorsed by USGBC or GBCI. Figures verified June 2026; exam fees and dates can change — confirm on usgbc.org before registering.