With a focused plan, this WELL AP Study Guide will help you prepare for the WELL AP exam in 2 weeks rather than 3 months. Using a simplified 4 hour WELL AP training video lessons, a set of 6 WELL AP practice exams and a few minutes of WELL AP flashcards a day. IWBI, which runs the exam, suggests 3 months before your exam date, which is about how long the book route takes.
This guide is for anyone preparing for the WELL AP, from architects and interior designers to engineers, consultants and students. It gives the study plan, the IWBI documents worth reading, how to use the reference document you get in the exam, and the score to reach before you book.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Version | WELL v2 (Q4 2020 edition) |
| Questions | 115 multiple choice, in 2.5 hours |
| Passing score | 170 on a scale of 125 to 200 |
| Reference during the exam | IWBI provides an embedded PDF |
| Study time, focused plan | About 2 weeks, longer part time |
| Study time, book route | About 3 months |
Start with the free WELL AP practice exam: 100 questions, no signup, an instant score with explanations. Your score shows how far you are from ready. Then follow the plan below with the WELL AP exam prep or your own materials.
How long does it take to study for the WELL AP exam?
| Book route | Focused route | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Read the standard and guidebooks, memorize every optimization and its extended features | Learn from training that marks what to memorize and what to skim, with the key terms highlighted |
| Typical time | About 3 months | About 2 weeks, longer for part time learners |
| Best for | People who want deep technical knowledge for consulting work | People who want the credential with the least time spent |
Answers online range from a few hours to two months, and the route you take explains most of the gap. A book is worth it if you are ready to give it 3 months. If your goal is the credential, the focused route gets you there faster, because it skips what you do not need to memorize, including the content of the reference document you get during the exam.
The WELL AP study plan, step by step
This is the order Archiroots students follow, and the scores they usually see along the way.
- Watch the lessons, about 4 hours of video. Most people spread them over 1 to 2 weeks, since not everyone studies every day.
- Take your first practice exam straight after. Expect around 60%, which is normal at this point because you have not spent time memorizing yet.
- Go to the flashcards. This is where you find your weak points. Use them daily, on your phone or between meetings, but only a few bundles of 10 cards at a time, so what you review actually sticks.
- Take the next practice exam. Right after the flashcards, scores usually climb to about 75%. A few more exams and they reach the 80s, and that is when you are ready to book.
Keep using the flashcards between practice exams to review the questions you missed.
When are you ready to book the WELL AP exam?
Use the 60 and 80 rule, the same one Archiroots uses for LEED.
- After the lessons, take one full practice exam. If you score 60% or more, carry on with one practice exam a day.
- If you score below 60%, stop and go back to the flashcards or the lessons before taking another. Taking more exams before you fix the gaps only repeats the same mistakes.
- Once you score 80% or more consistently, across different exams and not the same one repeated, book your date.
Nobody can guarantee an exam result. 80% is the score at which Archiroots students usually feel ready, so never schedule the exam before you are passing the practice exams.
Which IWBI documents to read, and which to skip
IWBI’s own study page lists several documents. They are not equally useful for the exam.
| Document | Cost | For the exam |
|---|---|---|
| WELL Certification Guidebook | Free | Read it. It explains how a project moves through certification |
| Performance Verification Guidebook | Free | Read it. It explains how the performance based concepts are tested on site |
| WELL Portfolio Guidebook | Free | Read it |
| Get to know the WELL AP exam | Free | Skim it. It maps the exam and contains the embedded reference |
| WELL Building Standard v2 | Free | Look things up in it as needed |
| Digital glossary | Free | Useful for consultants, not needed for the exam |
| Addenda | Free | Useful for consultants, not needed for the exam |
| WELL AP 3 Month Study Guide | Paid | Optional, and built for the 3 month route |
IWBI’s page also lists third party materials, including the Archiroots WELL AP Exam Training and the free practice exam. Its full list is on Study for the WELL AP exam.
Get the free WELL AP study guide ebook
The free Archiroots WELL AP study guide ebook covers why to become a WELL AP, how WELL Certification works, how to register, the exam outline and fees, and the study materials, with links to the free IWBI documents above, including the exam guide with the embedded reference.
How to use the embedded reference PDF
During the exam, IWBI gives you a reference document as an embedded PDF. IWBI describes it in Get to know the WELL AP exam, which is also linked in the free WELL AP study guide ebook. Use it like this:
- Before the exam, skim it once so you know what it contains and roughly where.
- While you study, skip the sections it covers. You will have them in front of you on exam day, so memorizing them is time lost.
- In the exam, when a question touches that content, open the PDF, press Ctrl+F and search for the term. Reading through it again would cost you time you need for the other questions.
WELL AP study materials: free and paid
| Material | Free or paid | What it is good for |
|---|---|---|
| Free WELL AP practice exam | Free, no signup | A first diagnostic: 100 questions on WELL v2 with explanations |
| IWBI guidebooks and exam guide | Free | The official source for the certification process |
| Free WELL AP study guide ebook | Free | Exam outline, fees, registration steps and links to the official documents |
| Study books | Paid | The 3 month route |
| WELL AP practice exams | Paid | 6 timed exams, 600 questions with explanations |
| WELL AP flashcards | Paid | 500 cards for daily review on the go |
| WELL AP exam prep | Paid | About 4 hours of lessons with the plan above |
What makes a practice exam worth your time
A credible WELL AP practice exam:
- is written for WELL v2, not v1
- explains every answer
- is timed like the real exam
- is written by WELL Faculty
The Archiroots practice exams are written by Shadi AbouSamra, a WELL AP and a member of IWBI’s WELL Faculty.
Five mistakes that cost WELL AP candidates time
- Studying old material. WELL v1 material teaches a different standard, so check that everything you use is written for WELL v2.
- Studying beta features. IWBI states that WELL beta features are not assessed.
- Studying with AI chatbots. You cannot tell whether an answer is relevant to the exam, and when you point out a mistake, the chatbot tends to reply that you are right.
- Memorizing every detail, especially the content of the embedded reference. It is not worth it if you value your time.
- Booking too early. Never schedule the exam before you are passing the practice exams.
Start studying today
- Take the free WELL AP practice exam to see where you stand.
- Download the free WELL AP study guide ebook.
- Follow the four step plan with the WELL AP exam prep, which includes the lessons, the 6 practice exams and the 500 flashcards.
New to the credential itself? Read what a WELL AP is first, including how difficult it is and what it costs. The WELL Building Standard guide explains the standard behind the exam.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to study for the WELL AP exam?
About 2 weeks with a focused plan: 4 hours of lessons, then practice exams and flashcards. Part time learners take longer. Studying from books and memorizing every optimization takes about 3 months, which is close to IWBI’s own advice to start 2 to 3 months ahead.
Is there a free WELL AP study guide PDF?
IWBI’s guidebooks and its “Get to know the WELL AP exam” guide are free. Archiroots also offers a free WELL AP study guide ebook in PDF, with the exam outline, fees and links to all of them. IWBI’s own 3 Month Study Guide is paid.
What study materials do I need for the WELL AP exam?
Lessons that show what to memorize and what to skim, the free IWBI guidebooks, credible practice exams written for WELL v2, and flashcards for daily review.
Can you pass the WELL AP exam in 2 weeks?
Yes, with a focused plan. The usual pattern is about 60% on the first practice exam after the lessons, about 75% after the flashcards, then 80% or more a few exams later, which is the point to book.
Is the WELL AP exam open book?
Not in the usual sense. IWBI provides one reference document as an embedded PDF during the exam, and you can search it. Your own notes and materials are not allowed.
Which version of WELL is the WELL AP exam based on?
WELL v2, Q4 2020 edition. Material written for WELL v1 and WELL beta features are not tested.
How many practice exams should I take before the WELL AP exam?
Enough to score 80% or more consistently on different exams, not the same exam repeated. A set of 6 full practice exams leaves enough room for that.
