Green construction and sustainability fascinate you? If so, you may have heard of the WELL standard, but is the WELL AP certification worth it? Is your time and money well spent, though? We will go into great depth in this short read to enable you to decide wisely whether to pursue the WELL AP or not.
One of the biggest promoters of health and wellbeing in the built environment, the WELL Certification. An internationally recognized certification and accreditation, made for those who want to change the world by designing areas that put people’s well-being first.
Become a WELL AP and show off your knowledge in light, thermal comfort, nutrition, air and water quality, and more.
Developers investing the WELL Certification see great rise in occupant productivity and wellness which is leading to advantages in diverse aspects.
Companies and customers are appreciating sustainability and health more and more, so earning a specific certification will help you stand out from the competition. It could improve your professional profile and lead to a larger earning potential as well. Thus, it might be worthwhile to investigate the WELL AP Certification if you have a strong desire to design healthier and more sustainable environments.
What is the WELL AP Certification
Globally renowned, the WELL AP Certification is made for those who want to change the world by designing areas that put human health and well-being as a top priority.
A non-profit organization created the WELL certification to improve human health and well-being in buildings and communities. International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is the body that develops the WELL Certification. It offers an all-inclusive framework for developing, planning, and running structures that promote occupant health and well-being. The certification is a performance-based framework for assessing, validating, and tracking aspects of the built environment that affect human health and well-being. So it is not a theory or methodology but has assessments, standards, validation process to make sure projects are really healthy and support human health.
Benefits of the WELL AP, Is the WELL AP Certification Worth it?
By now you might have understood the reasons for creating the certification but why should you become a WELL AP? Is the WELL AP certification worth it?
Becoming a WELL AP might result in lucrative employment opportunities in the green building industry. Getting a particular certification can help you stand out from the competition since businesses and consumers are becoming more and more interested in sustainability and wellness. It could raise your earning potential and enhance your reputation in the workplace. Therefore, if you are passionate about creating settings that are healthier and more ecologically friendly, it would be good to take the WELL AP exam. Below are 5 reasons why you should earn the certification:
- Increased knowledge and proficiency about healthy buildings.
- Deeper understanding of how people’s health and well-being may be impacted by the built environment.
- Professional recognition.
- Ability to join a community of professionals that are as passionate about creating healthy workplaces.
- Stand out when applying for jobs.
The Importance of Human Well-being in the Built Environment
The WELL standard is based on the understanding that the built environment has a major influence on human health and well-being. According to study, people spend approximately 90 percent of their time inside, whether at home, at work, or in other indoor environments. As such, it is critical to ensure that these spaces are designed and operated in a way that supports the inhabitants’ physical, mental, and emotional well.
Many built environment problems that might impact people’s health are addressed by the WELL building Standard. It focuses on air quality, for instance, making sure that places have enough ventilation systems and little pollutants.
Through emphasizing water quality, it also encourages access to safe and clean drinking water. Nutrients are another crucial component that encourages the availability of nutritious food substitutes and attentive eating habits.
A further important consideration is lighting. The WELL Building Standard emphasizes strongly the use of both natural light and appropriate artificial lighting to support circadian cycles and promote productivity and well-being.
Additionally mentioned are the requirements for places that encourage physical activity and exercise as well as mobility and fitness. Complementary to ergonomic design, acoustics, and thermal comfort are regulations for comfort.
Through the emphasis on these aspects of the built environment, the WELL AP Certification aims to create settings that support human health and well-being. With issues like stress, indolence, and indoor air pollution growing more and more prevalent in the contemporary world, this is particularly crucial.
Become a WELL AP to support the creation of healthier, more sustainable environments that also support the well-being of their occupants.
Is the WELL AP Exam Hard
It can be viewed as difficult to some since might not have knowledge about topics like circadian rthymes, phase delay, phase advance, VOC, particulate matter and similar. LEED accredited professionals might have a bit of an advantage since some topics are in the LEED standard and some professionals have worked in projects that got exposed to such topics.
Your knowledge and comprehension of the WELL Building Standard are comprehensively evaluated in the WELL AP Exam. Among the many subjects it addresses are thermal comfort, light, mind, nourishment, water and air quality.
Studying and preparing for the WELL AP exam can take you as little as 2 weeks rather than the usual 3 months. If you memorize the WELL building standard book then you might be overwhelmed with information and bombarded with topics that might be new.
Whereas there are other and more effective ways to prepare for the exam. By following a simplified WELL AP training course that defines complex topics and showcases what are important for the exam to save your time and money.
The WELL AP course is made easy for professionals with low or no experience in such topics. After learning the content, you would need to take on WELL AP practice exams and flashcards to make sure you have understood the content.
WELL AP Exam Format
The WELL AP exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes long with 115 multiple-choice questions. Of which 15 do not contribute to the score (pretest/ pilot questions). It is given using a computer-based testing system and is available for taking at approved testing facilities worldwide. Exam passing score of 170 out of 200 translates into a minimum of 85% correct responses.
How to Become WELL AP Certified
To become a WELL AP, it is simple just follow the below steps:
- Learn the WELL AP study material using a simplified training.
- Review the most important key terms using WELL AP flashcards
- Make sure you will ace the exam by taking WELL AP practice exams.
- Register for the WELL AP exam on the IWBI website. By creating an account and paying for the official exam.
- Scheduling the exam from home or from a certified test center on the Prometric website.
- Take the exam, you will know if you passed or failed instantly after submitting your results.
- Maintain your accreditation by completing 30 CE hours every 2 years to stay up to date.
WELL AP Certification Cost
The cost to earn your WELL AP credential might differ from one place to another depending on your training. The exam costs 299$ but can be less if you are a student, veteran or your company is a WELL member. As for the training it can differ from one place to another, reaching to thousands of dollars at universities and centers. Here at archiroots the WELL AP exam prep is economical and even has a short free training to get started and a free WELL AP sample exam as well.
Conclusion: Is the WELL AP Certification is Worth it?
Would you spend money to learn the material and take the official exam to get the WELL AP on your resume and profile? Is the WELL AP Certification Worth it? After the huge increase, trend and demand for professionals with knowledge about sustainable design and human health the WELL AP is surely an asset to any professional especially in the building industry.
All things considered, the WELL AP Certification has a lot to offer experts in the green construction sector. Gaining certification as a WELL AP will allow you to showcase your knowledge in designing sustainable, healthy environments that put occupant well-being first. Your professional profile may be improved, doors to fascinating employment prospects might open, and your earning potential may rise.
For people who are enthusiastic about designing healthy environments, the benefits of the certification process exceed any difficulties, like a demanding test and time and effort commitment. Employers and customers are appreciating more and more the WELL AP Certification, which may provide you a competitive advantage in the employment market.
Moreover, if your are still wondering is the WELL AP Certification Worth it? The WELL AP Certification is in line with the expanding attention on wellbeing and sustainability in the built environment. Prioritizing human well-being, the certification tackles important problems such light, exercise, comfort, nutrition, water and air quality, and nutrition. Professionals with the WELL AP Certification may significantly impact the world in which indoor environmental quality and occupant well-being are becoming more and more vital.
Therefore, the WELL AP Certification might be worthwhile to investigate if you are enthusiastic about green construction and sustainability and want to design healthier and more sustainable environments. It could provide you the information, abilities, notoriety, and job chances you need to have a long-lasting influence on the green building sector. Considering the WELL AP Certification, invest in your green construction profession and start the process of designing healthier environments for a better future.
