LEED AP ND study plan

Map the LEED ND v4 rating system structure from memory: credit categories, prerequisites vs. credits, and point thresholds for Certified through Platinum.

Explain the three-stage certification process (Stage 1: precertification review of a draft plan, Stage 2: certified plan review after entitlement, Stage 3: certified built project review) and state what triggers each stage.

Distinguish LEED ND from LEED Building Design and Construction scope boundaries by listing which components (neighborhood layout, infrastructure, individual buildings) fall under which rating system.

Identify the roles of the project team, the Green Building Certification Institute, and the certification reviewer in a typical ND submission.

Compare the smart location prerequisites (Smart Location, Imperiled Species and Ecological Communities, Wetland and Water Body Conservation, Agricultural Land Conservation, Floodplain Avoidance) and describe the documentation evidence each requires.

Explain how the location prerequisites interact with the location-related credits such as Preferred Locations, Brownfield Remediation, and Access to Quality Transit.

Practice reading a site context the way a reviewer would: given a described parcel, decide which location prerequisites are triggered and what evidence would be needed.

Build a checklist of the documentation types (site plans, GIS overlays, agency letters, calculations) used across the location credits.

Calculate walkability metrics using the LEED ND method: intersection density, residential density, and diversity of uses, working through at least three sample calculations by hand.

Explain the Neighborhood Pattern and Design credit family (Walkable Streets, Compact Development, Connected and Open Community, Mixed-Use Neighborhoods, Housing Types and Affordability) and the intent behind each.

Describe how a street network's block perimeter and intersection count affect the Walkable Streets and Connected and Open Community credits.

Identify the design strategies that earn points for mixed-use and affordable housing and the metric each uses.

Explain the Green Infrastructure and Buildings prerequisites (Certified Green Building, Minimum Building Energy Performance, Indoor Water Use Reduction, Construction Activity Pollution Prevention) and what each requires of the project team.

Describe the stormwater management credit family (Stormwater Management, Rainwater Management) and the volume-control and treatment requirements.

Compare the heat island reduction, light pollution reduction, and renewable energy credits in terms of intent and measurable threshold.

Trace how a single site design decision (for example, an infiltration basin) can earn points in more than one credit and where trade-offs occur.

Calculate building energy performance improvement percentages and indoor water use reduction percentages for sample buildings and state which credit thresholds they meet.

Explain the recycled content, regional materials, and construction waste management credits and the calculation method for each.

Describe the Certified Green Building credit and how individual building certification contributes to neighborhood-level points.

Identify the documentation each Green Infrastructure and Buildings credit requires (energy models, water calculations, waste reports, commissioning reports).

Explain the linkages credits (Access to Quality Transit, Bicycle Facilities, Parking and Demand Management, Transportation Demand Management) and the metrics each uses.

Describe the innovation credit and the regional priority credit, including how a project team justifies an innovation point.

Outline the complete documentation package for a Stage 2 submission: what forms, plans, and calculations are submitted and in what order.

Identify the most common documentation errors that cause a credit to be denied or returned for clarification.

Complete a full-length timed practice exam under exam conditions and record the score by domain.

Review every missed question and write a one-sentence reason for each miss, tagging it to a domain and a specific credit.

Re-derive from memory the point thresholds, prerequisite lists, and key calculations that were weakest in the practice exam.

Identify the three credits with the lowest accuracy and locate the authoritative reference for each.

Re-study the five weakest credits identified in week 7 and write a one-paragraph explanation of each in your own words.

Complete a second timed practice exam and compare the domain scores to week 7.

Build a one-page quick-reference sheet covering prerequisites, point thresholds, and the three certification stages.

Simulate explaining the LEED ND process to a project owner in five minutes, covering scope, stages, and key trade-offs.