Supporting Reference

LEED Canada NC, the Green Building Rating System for the ExAC

LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations 2009, published by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), is the legacy Canadian green building certification standard for new commercial, institutional, and multi-unit residential projects; the CaGBC closed new registrations for it in 2016 during the transition to LEED v4. On Examitect's ExAC study plan, LEED Canada NC is a supplementary reference for Section 3, category 13.3: Apply sustainable architectural design strategies.

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LEED Canada NC overview

LEED Canada NC at a glance

Full titleLEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations 2009 / LEED Canada for Core and Shell Development 2009 Rating System
PublisherCanada Green Building Council (CaGBC)
Edition2009 (the legacy Canadian adaptation, based on the USGBC LEED 2009 system; new registrations closed in 2016)
Length123 pages
LanguagesEnglish
Primary audienceArchitects, engineers, developers, and project teams pursuing LEED certification in Canada
Where to accessAvailable as a free download from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). Check your office or your architecture school library for a copy.

Why LEED Canada matters for the ExAC

LEED Canada NC is on Examitect's ExAC study plan as a supplementary reference for category 13.3 (Apply sustainable architectural design strategies) in Section 3. That means ExAC questions in the sustainable design literacy category can draw on LEED concepts even when the document is not named directly. Understanding the LEED credit framework helps you think about sustainability goals in the structured, measurable terms the exam expects.

Each credit in LEED Canada NC follows the same format: intent, requirements, and potential technologies and strategies. Reading a handful of credits in detail gives you a template for how sustainability goals translate into specific design decisions, documentation obligations, and performance targets. That template is directly transferable to ExAC scenarios.

Architects in Canada frequently work on LEED projects during their Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) experience. Familiarity with the rating system helps you connect study-plan content to project decisions you're already making on the job.

How to study LEED Canada NC for the ExAC

  • Start with the two-page project checklist at the front of the document. It shows all credits and point totals before you read any detail.
  • Focus on the seven credit categories rather than individual credits. Most ExAC questions test what each category addresses, not exact point thresholds.
  • Know the eight prerequisites cold: they're required for any certification level and appear in process-based exam questions.
  • Pair the Energy and Atmosphere credits with your NECB study. The Optimize Energy Performance credit measures performance against the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB 1997), the NECB's predecessor, so the two cover the same territory from different angles.
  • Connect Materials and Resources credits to your CHING Chapter 12 study. Material selection criteria and MR credit requirements overlap significantly.
  • After covering CHING and CHOP on sustainable design, scan LEED categories as a calibration check to confirm your understanding.

ExAC sections LEED Canada NC supports

  1. Section 3

    LEED Canada NC is a supplementary reference for the Sustainable Design Literacy category. It supports questions on green building strategy, certification processes, and sustainability frameworks for architectural projects.

Seven credit categories in LEED Canada NC

LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations 2009 organizes its credits into seven categories. The NC rating system offers 100 base points, with up to 6 additional Innovation in Design points and 4 Regional Priority points for a maximum of 110. The CS (Core and Shell) column shows points for the companion rating system included in the same document; note that several CS credits differ in scope from their NC equivalents.

CategoryNC PointsCS PointsKey credits and topics
Sustainable Sites (SS)Site, transportation, and ecology
 26 28
  • Site Selection
  • Development Density
  • Brownfield Redevelopment
  • Alternative Transportation (x4)
  • Protect or Restore Habitat
  • Maximize Open Space
  • Stormwater Design (x2)
  • Heat Island Effect (x2)
  • Light Pollution Reduction
Water Efficiency (WE)Water use and wastewater
 10 10
  • Water Efficient Landscaping
  • Innovative Wastewater Technologies
  • Water Use Reduction
Energy and Atmosphere (EA)Energy performance and systems
 35 37
  • Optimize Energy Performance (up to 19 pts)
  • On-Site Renewable Energy (up to 7 pts)
  • Enhanced Commissioning
  • Enhanced Refrigerant Management
  • Measurement and Verification
  • Green Power
Materials and Resources (MR)Materials, waste, and reuse
 14 13
  • Building Reuse
  • Construction Waste Management
  • Materials Reuse
  • Recycled Content
  • Regional Materials
  • Rapidly Renewable Materials
  • Certified Wood
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)Air quality, comfort, and daylight
 15 12
  • Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring
  • Increased Ventilation
  • Construction IAQ Management
  • Low-Emitting Materials (x4)
  • Indoor Chemical Source Control
  • Controllability of Systems
  • Thermal Comfort (x2)
  • Daylight and Views (x2)
Innovation in Design (ID)Exemplary performance and expertise
 6 6
  • Innovation in Design (up to 5 pts)
  • LEED Accredited Professional (1 pt)
Regional Priority (RP)Canadian regional priorities
 4 4
  • Durable Building (1 pt)
  • Regional Priority Credit (up to 3 pts)

The Energy and Atmosphere category carries the most weight at 35 points NC, reflecting how large a share of a building's environmental footprint comes from energy use. The Sustainable Sites category is the second largest at 26 points and covers decisions made early in design: site selection, transportation access, and stormwater. If you only have time to read two categories in detail, start there.

Key LEED Canada terms every ExAC candidate should know

LEED Canada NC uses a specific vocabulary to describe its requirements. Learning these terms early saves you time interpreting questions that reference the certification process or green building concepts.

TermWhat it meansWhere it appears
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A green building rating system originally developed by the US Green Building Council and adapted for Canada by the CaGBC.
  • Introduction
CaGBC Canada Green Building Council. The not-for-profit that adapts LEED for Canadian climates, construction practices, and regulations. It issues certifications and runs the rating system in Canada.
  • Preface
Prerequisite A required threshold all LEED projects must meet. Prerequisites earn no points. A project cannot achieve any certification level without satisfying every prerequisite in the rating system.
  • All five base categories
Credit An optional measure that earns points when achieved. Points accumulate toward a certification tier. Some credits offer a range of points based on how far performance exceeds the threshold.
  • SS, WE, EA, MR, IEQ, ID, RP
Certification tier The four LEED levels: Certified (40-49 pts), Silver (50-59 pts), Gold (60-79 pts), Platinum (80+ pts), out of a 110-point maximum. All prerequisites must be met for any tier.
  • Project Checklist
Commissioning A systematic process to verify that building systems are installed, calibrated, and operating to design intent. Fundamental Commissioning is an EA prerequisite; Enhanced Commissioning earns additional points.
  • EA Prereq 1 and EA Credit 3
NC vs. CS NC (New Construction) is for projects where the developer controls the full design and construction scope. CS (Core and Shell) is for speculative development where tenants control their own interior fit-out.
  • Introduction
Credit weighting The allocation of points among LEED credits based on each credit's relative environmental impact. Calculated using the US EPA TRACI tool and reviewed periodically as science evolves.
  • Introduction, LEED Credit Weightings
Regional Priority credit A bonus category that recognizes important environmental issues specific to a Canadian region. The Durable Building credit is unique to the Canadian adaptation and rewards building longevity.
  • RP Credits 1 and 2
Exemplary performance Performance that greatly exceeds a credit threshold or expands the scope of an existing credit. Eligible for an additional Innovation in Design point. Teams generally must hit the next threshold in the progression.
  • Introduction; ID Credit 1
LEED AP LEED Accredited Professional. A credential recognizing expertise in the LEED rating system. Including a LEED AP on the project team earns one Innovation in Design point.
  • ID Credit 2
Durable Building credit A Regional Priority credit unique to LEED Canada that rewards design decisions extending the building's useful life. It reflects Canadian priorities around building longevity in harsh climates.
  • RP Credit 1

Tips for Intern Architects reading LEED Canada NC

LEED Canada NC is a reference document, not a textbook. It is organized by credit, not by subject. Here is how to read it efficiently as part of your ExAC preparation.

Tip 1, read the checklist before the credits. The two-page project checklist near the front of the document (pages iv-v for NC) shows every credit, its point range, and its prerequisites in a single scan. Spend ten minutes there before you open any credit page. It gives you the mental map you need to navigate the rest of the document efficiently.

Tip 2, know the prerequisite/credit distinction cold. All eight NC prerequisites must be met for any certification level. A project that fails even one prerequisite cannot certify regardless of total points. This process rule shows up in ExAC questions about sustainable project delivery. Don't just know the prerequisites; understand why they're treated as non-negotiable.

Tip 3, focus on Energy and Atmosphere first. With 35 NC points, EA is the largest category and the most likely to generate ExAC questions. The Optimize Energy Performance credit alone offers up to 19 points and ties directly to energy modelling, which also shows up in NECB questions. Reading EA and NECB together in the same study session is the most time-efficient way to cover both.

Tip 4, connect MR credits to your job site experience. The Materials and Resources category covers recycled content, regional sourcing, construction waste management, and certified wood. These are decisions you may already be making or tracking on IAP projects. Connecting the credits to real project situations makes the content stick faster than reading in isolation.

Tip 5, use the seven categories as a mental framework. Whenever an ExAC scenario asks you to identify, rank, or evaluate a sustainable design strategy, the seven LEED categories (SS, WE, EA, MR, IEQ, ID, RP) give you a structured way to think about what strategies exist and which category they belong to. This is faster than trying to recall strategies from memory without a framework.

Tip 6, understand NC vs. CS before your exam. The document covers two rating systems. The NC system applies when the owner or developer controls the full design and construction scope. The CS system applies to speculative development where tenants fit out their own spaces. ExAC questions about project delivery and certification paths may test whether you can select the correct system for a described project type.

Common ExAC scenarios where LEED Canada NC is the answer

These question types draw on LEED Canada NC concepts. If you see one on the exam, picture the credit category first, then the specific credit or prerequisite.

  • A project team is targeting LEED Gold for a new institutional building. Which credit category offers the most points and which credit within that category has the highest single-credit point ceiling?
  • A developer plans a speculative office building where multiple tenants will control their own interior fit-out. Which LEED Canada rating system applies, and why does it differ from LEED Canada NC?
  • The design team wants to earn credit for specifying locally sourced structural steel. Which LEED credit category and credit address regional materials, and what distance threshold typically defines "regional"?
  • An architect is asked to confirm that building systems will operate as designed after occupancy. Which LEED EA prerequisite covers that obligation, and what process does it require?
  • During construction, the general contractor installs a plan to protect indoor air quality before occupancy. Which IEQ credit does that address, and is it a prerequisite or an optional credit?
  • A project earns 58 points from the base credits and wants to push into Gold. Which additional categories or credits offer the most accessible remaining points?
  • A client asks about a LEED credit that specifically rewards building longevity in Canada's climate. Which Regional Priority credit applies, and what makes it unique to the Canadian adaptation?

Most of these scenarios resolve to a credit category first, then a specific credit within it. If you know the seven categories and their approximate point totals, you can narrow down the answer quickly even without memorizing every credit line.

How LEED Canada NC compares to other ExAC references

LEED Canada NC is the rating system document, not a study guide or a code. It works best when paired with references that explain the underlying building science and practice context. Here is how it fits alongside the other references on Examitect's ExAC study plan.

ReferenceWhat it is forHow LEED Canada NC relates
LEED Canada NC The Canadian adaptation of LEED for New Construction (LEED Canada-NC 2009), a voluntary green building rating system covering site, water, energy, materials, and indoor environmental quality. The supplementary reference Examitect's ExAC study plan cites for sustainable design literacy and green-building rating-system questions in Section 3. LEED v4 is the version on the ExAC study plan, with LEED v5 launched in 2025; LEED Canada-NC 2009 remains the Canadian legacy version most often referenced.
CHING Visual reference for how Canadian buildings are assembled: site, foundations, structure, envelope, finishes, and systems. LEED Canada NC sets sustainability targets; CHING shows how to detail the assemblies (walls, roofs, envelopes) that achieve them. The two are complementary on ExAC sustainable design questions.
CHOP Canadian practice and project delivery across every phase. LEED certification is a project delivery path. CHOP covers the phases in which LEED credits are documented and submitted. Both perspectives are tested in Section 3.
NBC 2020 Minimum compliance for building construction in Canada. Several LEED prerequisites reference code compliance as a baseline; optional credits reward performance beyond that baseline. Reading both together shows where LEED requires more than the code minimum.
NECB Energy code for buildings, including envelope and systems performance. LEED's Energy and Atmosphere credits target energy performance above the MNECB 1997 baseline, the NECB's predecessor. Studying them side by side gives you the full picture for energy-related ExAC questions.
LEED Core Concepts Guide Foundational green building theory and strategy across all LEED rating systems. The Core Concepts Guide teaches the principles behind LEED. LEED Canada NC is the actual rating system with credit-by-credit requirements. Read the Core Concepts Guide first if you are new to LEED, then use NC as a reference.
LEED v4 The international LEED standard for building design and construction on the ExAC study plan; LEED v5 launched in 2025. LEED v4 is the successor to LEED 2009 and the system the CaGBC moved to for new Canadian registrations. LEED Canada NC 2009 is the Canadian version on the ExAC reading list. Both share the same category structure, but v4 reorganizes credits and raises several thresholds.

How Examitect reinforces LEED Canada NC

Reading LEED Canada NC shows you the rating system's structure. Applying it under exam conditions is a different skill. Examitect's practice questions for Section 3 include scenario-based questions drawn from the Sustainable Design Literacy category, which is where LEED Canada NC appears on Examitect's ExAC study plan. The questions test your ability to apply green building logic to a project situation: selecting the right strategy, identifying the correct certification path, and recognizing how LEED credits translate into design decisions.

Each answer explanation connects the scenario back to the relevant credit category and the underlying design principle, so you can re-read only the parts of LEED Canada NC that you need rather than working through the whole document again. Try a few sample questions to see where your sustainable design literacy stands, then check pricing when you want the full question bank.

FAQ

LEED Canada FAQ

Supplementary. On Examitect's ExAC study plan, LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations is a supplementary reference for category 13.3 (Apply sustainable architectural design strategies) in Section 3. It is not listed as a primary reference for any ExAC section. That said, the LEED framework appears regularly in sustainable design questions, so familiarity with its structure and terminology is worth building.

Section 3, specifically the Sustainable Design Literacy category (category 13.3 in Examitect's study plan). LEED Canada NC helps ExAC candidates understand how sustainability goals translate into structured design requirements, measurable performance targets, and documentation obligations. It does not appear as a resource for Sections 1, 2, or 4.

The seven categories are: Sustainable Sites (SS, 26 points NC), Water Efficiency (WE, 10 points), Energy and Atmosphere (EA, 35 points), Materials and Resources (MR, 14 points), Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ, 15 points), Innovation in Design (ID, 6 points), and Regional Priority (RP, 4 points). Base points total 100; with ID and RP the maximum is 110. Certification requires a minimum of 40 points plus all prerequisites.

NC (New Construction and Major Renovations) applies to projects where the owner or developer controls the full scope of design and construction. CS (Core and Shell Development) applies to speculative development where the developer builds the base building but tenants control their own interior fit-out. Both are published in the same 2009 rating system document. Projects where the owner occupies more than 50 percent of the floor area must use NC rather than CS.

There are eight prerequisites in LEED Canada NC 2009: Construction Activity Pollution Prevention (Sustainable Sites); Water Use Reduction (Water Efficiency); Fundamental Commissioning of Building Energy Systems, Minimum Energy Performance, and Fundamental Refrigerant Management (Energy and Atmosphere); Storage and Collection of Recyclables (Materials and Resources); and Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control (Indoor Environmental Quality). All eight must be met for any certification level.

60 to 79 points. The four LEED Canada NC 2009 certification tiers are: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points), and Platinum (80 points or above), out of a 110-point maximum. Projects must also satisfy all eight prerequisites. The Innovation in Design and Regional Priority bonus points (up to 10) count toward these thresholds, so they can lift a project into a higher certification tier.

LEED v4 is the more recent international update from the US Green Building Council, introduced after the 2009 system. LEED Canada NC 2009 is the legacy Canadian adaptation on the ExAC reading list. Both share the same general category structure (sites, water, energy, materials, indoor quality, innovation) but LEED v4 reorganizes several credits, raises performance thresholds, and integrates life-cycle thinking more explicitly. Both LEED Canada NC and LEED v4 appear on Examitect's ExAC study plan as supplementary references for sustainable design literacy.

Keep exploring

Other ExAC reference books.

LEED Canada NC is one of several references on Examitect's ExAC study plan. Continue with the primary references and the companion LEED documents.

CHING

Building Construction Illustrated. The visual reference for how Canadian buildings are assembled. Primary for most categories in Sections 1 and 3.

CHOP

Canadian Handbook of Practice. The practice spine of the ExAC reading list, primary for Sections 1, 3, and 4.

NBC 2020

National Building Code of Canada. The primary reference for every category in ExAC Section 2.

NECB

National Energy Code for Buildings. Pairs with LEED's Energy and Atmosphere category for Section 2 and Section 3 energy questions.

LEED Core Concepts Guide

Foundational green building theory for all LEED rating systems. Read this before LEED Canada NC if you are new to the LEED framework.

RSMeans

RSMeans Cost Data. North American construction cost data, used for Section 1 Cost Management questions.

Yardsticks

Hanscomb Yardsticks for Costing. Canadian elemental cost data by building type and region, for Section 1 Cost Management.

LEED v4

The international LEED standard on the ExAC study plan; LEED v5 launched in 2025. Shares category structure with LEED Canada NC but with updated credits and thresholds.