Accredited Professional (AP) Handbook
2026 GRESB AP: Infrastructure Exam
This page is dedicated to individuals pursuing the GRESB AP: Infrastructure certification. If you are not currently registered for a GRESB AP exam and wish to learn more, please visit our website here.
Introduction
About GRESB AP
The GRESB Accredited Professional (GRESB AP) Infrastructure credential is designed to equip professionals with the skills to understand, report, and manage sustainability data and performance within the GRESB Infrastructure Assessments. This credential recognizes individuals based on their knowledge of sustainability reporting for infrastructure assets, enabling them to drive improved sustainability outcomes. It is an annual credential.
GRESB APs serve as key contributors to high-quality infrastructure reporting, aligning organizations with global best practices in sustainability, resilience, and efficiency. By achieving this credential, professionals demonstrate their ability to navigate the GRESB Infrastructure Assessments, apply scoring methodologies, and interpret performance results.
GRESB AP Handbook
The GRESB AP Infrastructure Handbook is an essential resource for candidates preparing to earn the credential. It provides an overview of the exam process, eligibility requirements, registration and fees, exam structure, study materials, and credential maintenance.
This handbook serves as both a study guide and a reference document, outlining question formats and key content areas. It also includes details on post-exam procedures and renewal requirements to ensure that GRESB APs stay current with evolving industry standards.
The GRESB AP Infrastructure exam is updated annually to reflect the latest GRESB Standards and industry developments.
This handbook pertains specifically to the 2026 exam, which remains available until the launch of the next annual version. Candidates are encouraged to review this handbook carefully as they prepare for the exam.
GRESB AP Infrastructure
The GRESB AP Infrastructure exam is the first Infrastructure-focused credential available as part of the program. It is designed to equip professionals with the competencies required for comprehensive management of the GRESB Infrastructure Assessment.
The exam covers key competencies, including preparation, data collection, documentation, and submission of the GRESB Infrastructure Assessment. It also emphasizes interpretation of results and scoring, ensuring candidates can effectively analyze benchmark reports, scoring methodologies, and performance insights.
As a GRESB AP, individuals demonstrate their ability to navigate the complexities of infrastructure sustainability reporting, ensuring accuracy and contributing to the long-term sustainability of infrastructure assets.
Who can take the exam?
The GRESB AP Infrastructure exam is open to:
GRESB Members, Participants, and Partners
Sustainability professionals working in infrastructure asset management
Consultants, analysts, and reporting specialists involved in infrastructure sustainability reporting
Professionals seeking to expand their knowledge of the GRESB Infrastructure Assessments
Registration Fees
The fee for the exam is EUR 475 or USD 570. Candidates may contact their GRESB account manager for special fee considerations. Credential holders re-certifying their GRESB AP status are eligible for a 50% discount on the recertification exam fee.
To purchase the GRESB AP Infrastructure exam, follow these steps:
GRESB AP Infrastructure Exam
Exam Development
The GRESB AP program is an evolving initiative, driven by a commitment to continuous improvement. Exam development is an iterative process that incorporates insights from multiple sources, including feedback rounds from internal and external test takers and industry experts. This collaborative approach ensures that the GRESB AP exam remains a dynamic and relevant exam, reflecting the evolving landscape of sustainability reporting in the real assets industry.
The GRESB AP exam is updated annually to ensure it remains aligned with the latest GRESB Infrastructure Standards, industry best practices, and real-world reporting challenges. Each year, the exam is revised to incorporate changes in the GRESB Standards, ensuring that GRESB APs remain knowledgeable about the latest reporting requirements and advancements in sustainability, resilience, and resource efficiency within real assets.
This continuous improvement process ensures that each year’s exam reflects the most current knowledge and expectations, making the credential not just a one-time achievement but an ongoing learning opportunity that keeps GRESB APs up to date with the latest developments in infrastructure sustainability.
Exam Version
Candidates taking the exam in 2026 will be tested on content based on the 2026 GRESB Infrastructure Fund, Asset, and Development Asset Assessments, ensuring that the credential reflects the most up-to-date methodologies, scoring criteria, and industry best practices.
The 2026 exam includes a higher proportion of new questions than previous versions, ensuring that credential holders stay at the forefront of GRESB’s evolving methodologies and scoring framework. Questions that are no longer relevant or that demonstrate suboptimal performance are retired and replaced with more applicable and insightful content.
Exam Question Types
The GRESB AP Exam is designed to assess your understanding of key sustainability reporting concepts, the importance of reporting to GRESB, and the skills needed to successfully complete an assessment. Whether you are the primary reporting lead for your organization or contributing as part of a broader team, this exam will equip you with the knowledge and competencies required to navigate the GRESB process effectively.
Types of Questions
The exam consists of two primary question types:
Knowledge-Based Questions These questions assess your ability to recall key concepts, definitions, and processes related to the GRESB Assessments. Example: ‘What is the purpose of the GRESB Materiality Assessment?’
Application/Scenario-Based Questions These questions present real-world scenarios requiring you to apply GRESB principles to problem-solving. Example: ‘An entity is expanding its portfolio and acquiring assets in a new region. How should the reporting boundaries be adjusted to ensure accurate GRESB submission?’
Exam Format and Sections
The exam is open-book, allowing examinees to leverage the provided resources for reference. Candidates are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these materials before starting the exam.
The GRESB AP Infrastructure exam consists of three sections:
Fundamentals (10 questions): Foundational elements of GRESB’s mission, its role within the industry, and its theory of change.
Reporting (40 questions): GRESB assessment methodologies, reporting tools, and key infrastructure resiliency topics within the context of the GRESB assessments.
Results (25 questions): Understanding of peer comparisons, scores, and benchmarking metrics needed to leverage Benchmark Reports as a tool for stakeholder engagement.
Time
Examinees are allotted a 24-hour window to complete the exam. A well-prepared examinee, having thoroughly studied the content and materials, should find it feasible to complete the exam within 2–3 hours.
Exam Preparation
The resources listed below serve as both guides and study materials, indicating the relevant materials for each section. While the exam allows open-book access to these resources, we strongly recommend thoroughly reviewing them before the exam for optimal preparation.
Fundamentals (10 questions)
Gain a foundational understanding of GRESB, the GRESB Foundation, the Foundation Roadmap, general sustainability topics, and industry alignment.
Fundamentals Resources
GRESB Guides
Visit the Getting Started section of GRESB Guides for fundamental information. This section includes:
Standards Origin and Evolution
This page includes information about our mission, vision, values, and governance structure, including the relationship between the GRESB Foundation and GRESB.
This page outlines the immediate and future priorities for the GRESB Standards. It details the Foundation's advisory groups, which are instrumental in the evolution of the Standards, and emphasizes industry collaboration. The Roadmap outlines the main drivers for development of the GRESB Standards, highlights key focus areas for 2026, and introduces topics under consideration for the coming years.
Core Concepts
Available as part of the online training platform exclusively available to GRESB APs, this video provides a comprehensive overview of key concepts essential for baseline knowledge for completing the GRESB Assessments, focusing on five core areas:
Origin and evolution
Industry impact
Financial materiality
Investment strategy
Rating and scoring
By reviewing these videos, candidates can deepen their understanding of these critical topics and strengthen their preparation for the GRESB AP exam, particularly in the fundamentals section.
Integration of Fundamentals Videos into the Exam
As part of the Fundamentals section of the GRESB AP: Infrastructure exam, the GRESB Fundamentals video series is integrated directly into the exam experience. During the exam, candidates will be required to watch short video modules and then answer a set of questions based on the content presented.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to review the Fundamentals video series in advance as part of their exam preparation. However, these videos will also be available within the exam itself and are intended to assess understanding of core GRESB concepts, context, and intent- not memorization.
GRESB Website
Visit the About GRESB page of the GRESB website for more details about GRESB's mission and vision.
Reporting (40 questions)
Explore the technical aspects of GRESB reporting, covering the functionalities of the GRESB Portal, supporting tools, GRESB Assessment components, reporting requirements, characteristics and tools, and scoring methodologies.
Reporting Resources
GRESB Guides
Visit the Getting Started section of GRESB Guides for all foundational information needed prior to beginning the Infrastructure Assessments. GRESB recommends reviewing the following pages to prepare for the Reporting section of the exam.
Visit the Completing GRESB Assessments of GRESB Guides for all information needed to support GRESB members in understanding the technical reporting requirements and scoring methodology of the Infrastructure Assessment. It includes the following information at an indicator-by-indicator level:
Completion Instructions
Evidence Requirements
Specific Scoring Methodology
Technical FAQs
GRESB Website
GRESB Training Platform
GRESB's training platform (go.learngresb.com) offers a structured, step-by-step learning experience to further supplement the core educational material hosted in GRESB Guides.
GRESB encourages users to take advantage of the training material—much of which is time agnostic— but to refer to GRESB Guides for the most up-to-date guidance.
This platform is designed to support both your GRESB AP credentialing journey and GRESB Assessment participation, offering key insights into best practices, scoring methodologies, and industry trends.
Your login credentials for the AP program also provide access to the training platform—no separate account is required. You can navigate training content through the main menu or browse structured collections based on specific topics.
The content of the platform is categorized into the following sections:
General: The Account set-up and GRESB Portal sections guide GRESB members into the step-by-step process of creating a new reporting entity as well as adding new users to the GRESB Portal.
Reporting: The Reporting section explains how to complete the Infrastructure Assessments, including their structure, key reporting components, and data requirements.
Results: The Results section explains data confidentiality, the process and benefits of conducting a Pre-Submission Check, and the requirements for submitting a Public Disclosure Assessment.
Results (25 questions)
This section focuses on interpreting GRESB Assessment results, including aggregated results, benchmark reports, and key considerations around data access, utilization, and investor access. The Scoring Document is an essential resource for completing this section, as it will guide GRESB's evaluation of your understanding of the scoring and benchmarking outputs in the Infrastructure Fund, Asset, and Development Asset Assessments.
Results Resources
GRESB Guides
Visit the Leveraging your Data section of GRESB Guides for information designed to help members make the most of their assessment output— including performance insights and data analysis and management tools.
Find a clear explanation of the various components and terminology used in the GRESB Benchmark Report as well as details regarding valuable peer comparison approaches. These outputs are designed to help Participants identify areas of risk and opportunity and strengthen stakeholder engagements.
Find an overview of the Portfolio Analysis Tool, which helps GRESB Members compare entity results against self-selected benchmarks.
Learn about the Data Exporter Tool, which equips GRESB Participants and Investors with hundreds of data points collected across the Real Estate Assessments.
GRESB Website
Timeline: The GRESB Assessment cycle has several important dates to be aware of. The timeline can be found on the GRESB website.
2025 Infrastructure Benchmark Results: This webpage provides access to several benchmarks from the 2025 results such as participation numbers, scoring averages, net-zero progress, data coverage insights, Sector Leaders, and more.
Exam Instructions
Upon purchasing the exam, examinees will receive an invitation to create their account. This invitation link is valid for 7 days. Please note that this link is for account setup only and does not provide immediate access to the exam. The GRESB AP exam is conducted through a third-party online platform. Once the user account is set up, the examinee can commence the exam at their convenience. Prior to starting the exam, a thorough review of the resources provided, including the GRESB AP Handbook, is recommended. Familiarization with the materials can enhance exam readiness, efficiency, and performance. Please note that the exam will close on the day of the release of the updated exam. The 2026 AP exam will close on February 2, 2027. For GRESB Partners who receive GRESB AP exam seats as part of their membership, exam access remains available until December 31, 2026.
Open-book format
The exam is open book, and examinees are encouraged to use the GRESB AP Handbook as a reference during the exam. Questions can be skipped and returned to later by bookmarking them, provided the section has not been submitted. Strategic time management is advised, prioritizing questions accordingly. Upon completion of each section, examinees will be prompted to "Submit section." Once submitted, answers cannot be revisited or altered. Confidence in responses is important before finalizing each section.
Recommended Time
Once the exam begins, there is a 24-hour window for completion. Although the exam is typically completed within two hours, examinees have the flexibility to manage their time throughout the day. It's important to allocate sufficient time for thoughtful responses.
Section Breakdown
Fundamentals: 10 questions
Reporting: 40 questions
Results: 25 questions
Post Exam
Upon completing the exam, click "Submit attempt." The passing score for the GRESB AP exam is 70%. Upon submission, you will promptly receive your score, an overview of questions, and results. Successful candidates will obtain a personalized certificate, QR code, and link for LinkedIn use, valid for 12 months from the passing date. Passing the AP exam grants you the title of GRESB Accredited Professional. However, successful examinees must take the annually updated exam to maintain their AP status. GRESB APs will also be listed on the GRESB AP Directory until their credential expires.
What happens if you fail?
In the event of a failed attempt, a single retake is available. If you do not pass on your retake, you will need to purchase another exam if you wish to make further attempts. Following an unsuccessful attempt, carefully review your results and the questions answered incorrectly. Dedicate time to study the provided resources, focusing on areas that need improvement. You may retake the exam starting 48 hours after the initial attempt.
Credential Maintenance and Renewal Process
Each year, GRESB Accredited Professionals must take an updated exam aligned with the new GRESB Infrastructure Standards and industry developments to maintain the GRESB AP credential. GRESB Accredited Professionals can access this exam at a discounted rate of 50%, ensuring their credentials remain current.
See here for the AP Recertification Handbook.
Credential Validity
The GRESB AP Infrastructure credential is valid for one year from the date of passing the exam.
Renewal Deadline
APs must complete the updated GRESB AP Infrastructure recertification exam before their credential expires to maintain active status.
Registration Process for Credential Maintenance
Users who pass the GRESB AP exam will receive a unique discount code in their account on the testing platform. This code provides a $50 discount on the following year’s exam and is exclusively available to users who have successfully passed. The code is directly linked to your user account and can be applied at checkout when purchasing the next year’s exam.
For GRESB Partners: If your exam access was provided through the GRESB Partner program, please contact your account manager for details on the renewal process.
Lapsed Credentials
If an AP does not renew their credential within the required timeframe, they must retake the full exam at the standard rate to regain their status.
Appendix
Glossary of GRESB Terminology
Assessment
Any or all Participants submitting data annually to assess sustainability performance and GRESB’s activities connected with those processes.
Benchmarks
Provides an in-depth analysis of the sustainability performance of a company, fund, or asset participating in the GRESB Assessments.
Indicators
Questions regarding one of the sustainability dimensions related to the entity or asset.
Working group
A gathering of experts discussing and collaborating on a topic to offer the GRESB Foundation an informed perspective.
Survey
A series of questions presented to a sample of GRESB stakeholders around a specific topic to inform the GRESB Foundation.
Member or industry feedback
Feedback collected in response to information included in or excluded from the GRESB Standards, Benchmarks, and indicators.
Committees
Any committees established by the Foundation Board for strategic or technical recommendations and advice for the development of the GRESB Standards.
Foundation Board
The management board of the GRESB Foundation.
GRESB Assessment
(i) a Participant submitting data annually to assess sustainability performance of real estate and/or infrastructure investments; (ii) GRESB’s activities connected with such assessment processes including data processing, validation, analysis, scoring, benchmarking, and development of the data.
GRESB B.V.
A benefit corporation incorporated as a private company under the law of the Netherlands (registration number 55416071).
GRESB Industry Partners (Industry Partners)
Any national, regional, or global industry body or association working in real estate or infrastructure that collaborates with GRESB.
GRESB Investor Member (Investor Member)
Any entity party to an Investor Membership Agreement with GRESB to receive access to GRESB data.
GRESB Member (Member)
Any entity party to a Membership Agreement with GRESB.
GRESB Partner (Partner)
Any entity party to a Partner Membership Agreement with GRESB.
GRESB Standards
The standards for assessing and benchmarking ESG performance; includes questions, evidence, indicators, and weighting.
GRESB Participant
Any entity party to a Participant Membership Agreement with GRESB to participate in the GRESB Assessment(s).
GRESB’s online non-public portal
Currently accessed via https://portal.gresb.com/ and used for providing GRESB products and services.
Data Confidentiality and Privacy Statement
GRESB B.V. is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. By signing up to the GRESB AP online testing environment (Synap) users agree to the storage and handling of their data by GRESB, in accordance with the GRESB Privacy Statement.
To safeguard your control over the dissemination of your GRESB AP exam results, your scores are disclosed exclusively to you, the exam participant, and GRESB staff. GRESB is committed to preserving the confidentiality of exam scores and does not disclose them unless expressly authorized. However, GRESB may compile and share aggregate, non-identifying information derived from this data, ensuring preservation of candidate anonymity and privacy.
For any questions, please reach out to the GRESB Helpdesk.
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