Guide · Updated June 2026
LEED v4.1 vs LEED v5: what actually changed, and which exam to take
LEED v5 is USGBC's current rating system as of 2026, and the credential exams have followed it: the v5 Green Associate beta launched April 28, 2026, and the v5 AP with Specialty betas open June 30, 2026. If you're deciding what to study right now, the version question matters more than any other prep decision you'll make.
The structural change: three impact areas
LEED v5 reorganizes the rating system around three impact areas — decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration — with decarbonization carrying the largest share of credit weight. The familiar credit categories (Location & Transportation, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, and so on) still exist, but what's inside them shifted toward carbon accounting, electrification, and embodied-carbon assessment.
What it means for the exams
The exams are written against the rating system, so the v5 exams test v5 content. Two concrete examples from the official candidate handbooks:
| Exam | v5 status | Heaviest domain (v5) |
|---|---|---|
| Green Associate | v5 beta live since Apr 28, 2026 | LEED Process & Energy and Atmosphere |
| AP BD+C | v5 beta opens June 30, 2026 | Energy and Atmosphere — 18 of 85 scored items |
The v4-era exams remain available during the transition, but USGBC has been explicit that the program is moving to v5 — the beta exams collect scoring data through August 31, 2026, and the finalized v5 exams publish toward the end of 2026.
Which should you take?
Taking the exam in 2026 or later? Study v5. Beta candidates get a 30% discount on exam registration, test the same content that becomes the final exam, and earn the same credential. The main tradeoff: beta results arrive after the data-collection phase closes (tentatively December 2026 for the AP betas).
Already deep into v4.1 prep with an imminent v4 test date? Finish what you started — but check your provider's material version before buying anything new. A large share of prep on the market in mid-2026 is still v4-era content.
Study materials built for v5
Exam Relay's decks are built directly from the v5 documentation — every card cites its source, and practice exams mirror the official v5 domain weights:
551 source-cited cards + 3 practice exams LEED v5 AP BD+C deck →
Built from the official v5 handbook blueprint
Sources: USGBC LEED v5 rating system documentation; USGBC LEED candidate handbooks (usgbc.gitbook.io); GBCI v5 beta exam announcements (gbci.org). LEED® is a trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. Exam Relay is not affiliated with USGBC or GBCI.