If you need help studying for the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free LARE practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 375 questions spread across four separate tests, but only 335 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 40 unscored questions on the LARE exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
Don’t worry—you won’t have to do calculations in your head! You’ll have access to a digital calculator during the exam.
Let’s take a closer look at the four tests that make up the Landscape Architect Registration Examination.
1. Inventory, Analysis & Project Management
100 questions | 3 hours
- Develop and manage design contracts
- Select and manage design team
- Determine and manage design scope, schedule, and budget
Inventory and Data Collection (21%)
- Collect related policy documents
- Assimilate information from previous planning processes
- Conduct onsite investigation and fieldwork
- Document site data
- Identify adjacent land use
- Collect contextual data
- Research codes, ordinances, and permitting requirements
Stakeholder Engagement Process (14%)
- Identify stakeholders
- Coordinate with governing bodies
- Support public participation process
- Evaluate design based on feedback
- Obtain public and private approvals
Physical Analysis (39%)
- Determine appropriate types of analyses
- Perform vegetation analysis
- Interpret and review soils and geology
- Perform topographical analysis
- Identify physical opportunities and constraints
- Perform utility analysis
- Analyze existing environmental variables
- Perform circulation analysis
- Perform visual resource analysis
- Perform hydrological analysis
- Review ecological analysis
Contextual Analysis (19%)
- Anticipate impacts of future developments
- Identify contextual constraints and opportunities
- Confirm appropriate use
- Conduct code compliance review
2. Planning & Design
95 questions | 3 hours
- Plan for sustainability
- Plan for climate resiliency
- Plan for environmental and social equity
- Recognize historical and cultural significance
Master Planning (33%)
- Formulate planning goals
- Prepare project program
- Synthesize site analysis
- Establish opportunities and constraints
- Determine appropriate land use
- Develop master plan
- Evaluate planning scenarios
- Produce planning documents
- Establish design guidelines
- Develop phasing plan
- Communicate planning outcomes
Schematic Design (28%)
- Develop design intent
- Create the basis for design
- Prepare functional diagram
- Produce conceptual diagram
- Develop schematic designs
- Evaluate design alternatives
- Refine selected alternatives
- Produce graphics, illustrations, and diagrams
Design Development (22%)
- Refine design elements
- Determine maintenance implications
- Collaborate on the design of irrigation systems
- Identify required approvals
- Develop opinion of probable costs
- Evaluate value engineering alternatives
- Demonstrate understanding of legal liabilities
3. Construction Documentation & Administration
100 questions | 3 hours
- Identify required plan sheets
- Produce existing conditions and demolition plan
- Produce protection and mitigation plan
- Produce layout and materials plan
- Produce planting plans and details
- Create details, elevations, and sections
- Collaborate on supplemental plans
- Develop general notes, schedules, and legends
- Comply with code requirements and dimensional standards
- Perform QA/QC activities
Construction Specifications and Bidding (20%)
- Develop project manual and front-end specifications
- Establish bid requirements
- Write technical specifications
- Facilitate bid process
- Respond to bidders’ questions and prepare addenda
Construction Administration (30%)
- Conduct pre-construction activities
- Respond to RFIs
- Manage construction contract
- Review submittals
- Conduct site observations and field reports
- Perform project close-out
- Perform construction project management
4. Grading, Drainage and Stormwater Management
80 questions | 3 hours
- Determine watershed area
- Determine stormwater management system
- Determine pervious and impervious areas
- Develop sustainable water quality practices
- Select surface and sub-surface BMPs
- Select building-systems BMPs
- Develop erosion and sedimentation control plan
- Obtain approvals and permits
Grading and Earthwork (44%)
- Adhere to accessibility standards
- Produce large-scale grading design
- Produce detailed grading design
- Review grading design
Drainage Systems (17%)
- Prepare drainage plan and profile
- Design and select drainage components
- Review drainage plans
How to Register
Once you’ve ensured that you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can register for the exam.
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application to your jurisdiction’s licensing board. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the testing fee, which is $535 per test. This means the full exam costs $2,140.
LARE Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test during the next available testing period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
FAQs
How many questions are on the LARE exam?
The full exam contains 375 questions.
What is the time limit for the LARE exam?
Each test within the exam is timed at 3 hours.
What is the passing score for the LARE exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 650 on each test to pass the full exam.
How much does the LARE exam cost?
Each test costs $535.