Managed and administered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Building Standard® is a performance-based system to globally transform health and well-being with a People First Places approach to buildings, organizations and communities. WELL is a roadmap for organizations to benchmark proven wellness strategies, as well as creating and certifying spaces that advance human health and well-being. Developed over 10 years and backed by the latest scientific research, WELL sets pathways for accomplishing health-first factors that help every one of us to do our best work and be our best selves by supporting our physical and mental health across 10 core Concepts – air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community. Rigorous performance standards for design interventions, operational protocols and company-wide practices are verified by a third party, GBCI. WELL works with any typology, anywhere in the world, at any scale from a single interior space, to an entire organization or an entire city.

Projects pursuing WELL Certification can earn points based on performance outcomes for various policy, design and operational strategies. Spanning 108 features and 10 concepts, WELL is a roadmap for improving the quality of our air, water and light with inspired design decisions that not only keep us connected but facilitate a good night’s sleep, support our mental health and help us perform our best daily. When projects achieve all the preconditions of the WELL Building Standard, WELL certification is achieved. Preconditions are core wellness features required for all levels of WELL certification. WELL provides flexibility when selecting Optimizations (like LEED credits) that best meet the project’s goals. WELL Certification is based on performance and requires a passing score in each of the ten Concepts of the WELL Building Standard. WELL Certification is awarded at one of four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. WELL v2 is applicable for all building types (excluding single family homes currently) located anywhere in the world.

You can start your WELL v2 project here:

WELL Certification is valid for three years from the date of the certification award letter. In order to maintain certification after that time, a project must apply for recertification and implement performance verification testing to determine that the building continues to perform to the WELL Building Standard requirements.

• Enrollment fee: $2,500
• Program fee: $0.16/sq ft

• Onsite performance testing starting at $6,500**

* Fees may vary for Core, Industrial, specific Markets and Sectors

**Also available through global network of approved WELL Performance Testing Organizations:

The LEED and WELL rating systems complement each other in many ways and have many similar goals. The fundamental difference between the two is that LEED focuses on buildings and WELL focuses on people. LEED measures how healthy the building is for the planet and WELL measures how healthy the space and/or organization is for the people. LEED is implemented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a 501c3; whereas, WELL is implemented by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), a public benefit corporation. Both USGBC and IWBI use the same third-party verification entity, Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI) for their certifications. LEED and WELL stand on their own as individual rating systems or they can be used together to holistically address the health of people and planet.

The WELL AP exam is a difficult and rigorous exam that not everyone passes on their first attempt. The only prerequisite to taking the exam is that you must be 18 years of age or older. The current WELL AP exam is scored between 125 and 200 with a minimum score of 170 required to pass. The current WELL AP exam is based on the WELL v1, Q 2019 version of the Standard. The last day to sit for the current WELL AP exam (WELL v1, Q1 2019) is September 5, 2021. If you schedule your exam on or after September 20, 2021, you will sit for the new WELL AP exam (WELL v2, Q4 2020).

The WELL AP exam tests participants on everything that is within the WELL Building Standard, as well as a great deal of supporting documents and resources. It is important to study all of the referenced materials in the link below. It is highly recommended to take as many practice tests as you can before taking the official exam. If you have the opportunity to take a WELL AP exam prep course, it is also highly recommended and helpful!

Learn more and access resources for the WELL AP exam here:

The International WELL Building Institute (WIBI) administers the WELL Building Standard (WELL). IWBI is a public benefit corporation whose mission is to improve human health and well-being through the built environment. Public benefit corporations like IWBI are an emerging U.S. structure for corporations committed to balancing public benefits with profitability – harnessing the power of private capital for greater good. WELL is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of buildings that impact the health and wellbeing of the people who live, work, learn and play in them. Fulfilling the vision of IWBI Founder Paul Scialla, IWBI has a pioneering altruistic capitalism model that will address social responsibility and demonstrate a sustainable model for philanthropy. IWBI has committed to direct 51% of net profits received from WELL Certification project fees toward charitable contributions and impact investment focused on health, wellness, and the built environment. IWBI was established by Delos in 2013 pursuant to a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to improve the way people live by developing spaces that enhance occupant health and quality of life by sharing the WELL Building Standard globally.

Unlike LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design; WELL does not stand for anything. WELL is short for the WELL Building Standard.