The Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) is a non-profit association that diligently works to set up academic, work and assessment standards needed to become a professionally licensed landscape architect. The Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) is an assessment used for CLARB licensure purposes. In this test, a candidate is required to prove that he or she can do the work and maintain health, safety and welfare standards for people in the community.
This test is identical in all jurisdictions. There are five parts to the test, including two graphic and three multiple-choice sections. Since the score is taken from the number of questions answered right, it is better to attempt to answer each of the multiple-choice items. For each of the five sections, candidates will either pass or fail. Candidates need to pass all five before being licensed. The LARE test sections are as follows:
Section A – Project and Construction Administration – 70 multiple-choice questions, as follows:
- Communication – 20%
- Standards of Practice – 23%
- Contract Administration – 17%
- Construction Evaluation – 20%
- Construction Practices – 20%
Section B – Inventory, Analysis and Program Development – 90 multiple-choice questions, as follows:
- Problem Definition – 11%
- Inventory – 29%
- Analysis – 36%
- Programming – 24%
Section C – Site Design – 4 Vignette Problems
Section D – Design and Construction Documentation – 120 multiple-choice questions, as follows:
- Design Principles – 16%
- Resource Conservation and Management – 18%
- Graphic Communication – 8%
- Construction Documentation – 20%
- Materials and Methods of Construction – 38%
Section E – Grading, Drainage and Stormwater Management – 4 Vignette Problems