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The Landscape Architect Registration Exam – L.A.R.E.


The Landscape Architect Registration Exam is administered by CLARB, or the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards. All candidates who want to become a licensed landscape architect must pass all sections of the LARE. However, if a candidate wishes to seek employment in the Federal Government, then he or she does not have to take the LARE. In some States, candidates are qualified to take the LARE prior to meeting all other requirements for licensure. It’s important that a candidate checks with their states licensing board to learn more about eligibility requirements, schedules, locations and application deadlines.

As of right now, there are 13 States that require a candidate to take and pass a State Examination in addition to the LARE to meet registration requirements. Again, check with your state’s licensing board beforehand to learn about all requirements, locations, deadlines and schedules.

The LARE consists of five sections and two separate styles; multiple-choice and graphic exams. Multiple-choice exams make up Sections A, B and D and are administered every March and September at Prometric test centers. Graphic exams make up Sections C and E and are administered every June and December by licensing boards and CLARB (Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards) Test Centers. Exam candidates should check the CLARB website to determine if the test center they plan on using is a CLARB Test Center. Candidates need to prove educational and training requirements have been met before becoming eligible to take the LARE.

The five sections of the LARE are:

A- Project and Construction Administration (multiple-choice)

B- Site Analysis (multiple-choice)

C- Planning and Site Design (graphic exam)

D- Structural Considerations and Materials & Methods of Construction (multiple-choice)

E- Grading, Drainage and Stormwater Management (graphic exam)

Each section receives a pass or fail score independently from one another, and all sections must be passed in order to be granted licensure. The LARE is administered across the United States and Canada on dates established by the CLARB. This is why it’s critical you check with the CLARB website to ensure you know the eligibility requirements, schedules, dates and times, and locations of test centers. The multiple-choice sections are administered by CLARB using a national system of computer testing centers, while the graphic sections are administered either by the state and provincial licensure boards or by CLARB at a CLARB test center.

For a Step-by-Step guide of the LARE, click here:

http://consensus.fsu.edu/Stormwater-Task-Force/pdfs2/LandscapeArchExamSectionEStormwaterDesign.pdf

Cost of the LARE

Depending on your status with the ASLA, or American Society of Landscape Architects members and non-members pay different fees to take the LARE. Members and non-members have to pay registration fees, as well as exam fees. Here’s a breakdown of the cost of the LARE:

  • Section A- $156.00
  • Section B- $191.00
  • Section C- $376.00
  • Section D- $281.00
  • Section E- $376.00

Non-Members pay an additional $75 for registration fees, while members pay $10. The registration fee is a flat fee per administration and is non-refundable. Also, these fees only apply to candidates who are taking the graphic sections at a CLARB test center.

Preparing for the LARE

There are numerous resources to prepare for the LARE, however the best and most effective exam resources come from the CLARB website. They offer test takers practice multiple-choice questions, sample vignettes, step-by-step guides, reference manuals (that includes the zoning code and design standards test takers use during the graphic sections), and orientation guides, that helps future test takers understand each section, exam structure, content and rules for taking the exam.