The Board requires passage of the national Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) as the exam standard for registration as a Landscape Architect in Oregon.
The LARE is a fully computerized examination designed to test applicants for the minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to provide landscape architecture services in a manner protective of public health, safety and welfare. The LARE is prepared, administered, and scored by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) in accordance with current standards for fairness and quality of licensure exams. CLARB is a non‐profit association, and state and provincial registration boards that regulate the profession of landscape architecture are members of CLARB.
CLARB contracts with a testing vendor to have exams administered at independent testing facilities. There are multiple sites in Oregon and also facilities in neighboring states. Candidates select the testing facility during the exam registration process. CLARB also offers remote proctoring. Candidates facing potential barriers with getting to a testing facility are encouraged to contact CLARB for information about the remote proctoring option.
The national exam has four (4) sections:
- Construction Documentation/Administration
- Inventory/Analysis/Project Management
- Planning/Design
- Grading/Drainage/Stormwater Management
Candidates who completed exam sections in a prior LARE format can contact CLARB for assistance in determining how prior sections are credited. The
LARE exam blueprint also shows how the prior sections 1 to 4 relate to the current sections. The exam blueprint also details the content covered on each of the LARE sections.
Each section of the LARE is independent of the others. Sections can be taken in any order. Sections may be taken one at a time, or multiple sections may be taken in one administration. Exams consist of multiple-choice, multiple-response , "drag and place" and "hot spot" items. For more information about the exam structure and question formats, the Board recommends reading the
LARE exam blueprint and the
LARE Orientation Guide available from CLARB.
The LARE content is based on job analysis surveys conducted by CLARB every five to seven years. Survey respondents are asked to rate all job tasks on three separate scales: how frequently the tasks are performed, how important the tasks are to successful job performance, and whether successful performance of each task was required at initial licensure. The tasks performed most often are considered the most important and are required at the initial point of licensure and thus form the basis of the LARE. Survey results are analyzed by subject matter experts working with CLARB and comprised of licensed (registered) Landscape Architects representing the diversity (areas of practice, geographic, etc.) of the profession.
The Board will also accept the equivalent of the LARE from previous versions of the national exam, such as the CLARB "UNE" or earlier CLARB versions of the LARE. The Board works with CLARB to determine equivalency of past vs. current exam forms. The Board does NOT accept any other past or current state or provincial exams in lieu of the national exam.
The following resources are provided to help applicants in preparation for the LARE.
Candidates for examination are strongly encouraged to visit the
CLARB website to access various resources provided by CLARB to assist with preparation for the LARE. These resources include YouTube videos, the LARE Orientation Guide, a recommended reading list, and related materials.