LARE Prep – live webinars AND STUDY MATERIALS For 2026
We’ve worked hard to provide different pathways to support you in preparing for the LARE.
- Registration is open for our Fall LARE live webinar sessions. Our live webinars include a mix of lecture, discussion, and practice tests in a friendly, supportive environment. The realtime Zoom format allows us to share diverse practice experiences, mark up design problems on a shared screen and discuss exam issues. You will understand what the LARE includes, know what you still need to work on, and how to find the information you need to fill in the gaps. All sessions are recorded, allowing for anonymous or asynchronous participation.
- Tight on time? Attend on your own schedule by using our video recordings. We record every webinar session and make these available to all attendees – even if you can’t make the live date.
- Tight on funds? We sell our study materials at a discount (no lecture/video content included). Purchase through our online store gives you immediate access to extensive reference materials, practice exams, and practice problems in word and graphic format. We’ll connect you with a study group too – email us.
- Want hardcopies? Look for the ‘Bound Hardcopy’ item during checkout and add it to your purchase. Printing and shipping costs will be added and we will mail you a box within 10 days.
- Already purchased Study Materials and want to upgrade to videos/webinar? We’ll credit you the cost of the materials you’ve already bought. Email Sarah and we’ll work it out.
- Just overwhelmed by all this? Sarah is available for tutoring. We charge $120/hr, whether you are an individual or a study group (or an office) seeking targeted help. We can accomplish a lot in an hour or two! Book on Calendly to set up a time.
We are a human-centered learning community that benefits from the shared experience of everyone who participates. You are always welcome to repeat a webinar if you didn’t quite make it over the top – no extra charge. We partner with ASLA to offer a variety of scholarships – ask your local chapter if you would benefit from financial support. We also offer a small discount for Canadian candidates to help with the exchange rate. Subscribe to our mailing list for more information.
It’s very rewarding to take this virtual sabbatical with design professionals from all across North America. Join us!
INVENTORY, ANALYSIS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Webinar and study materials – $250
LIVE SESSION: October 23, 2026 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
PRERECORDED: Video access to our last year’s worth of live sessions, on demand
During this intensive one-day course, we review CLARB’s test specification topics and use practice exams to assess your knowledge, while providing study material to help fill in the gaps. This section contains a lot of information that must be memorized and we can help with sorting the work. The IA&PM Syllabus contains approximately 155 pages of information and 150 practice questions in both multiple choice and graphic AIT formats.
Study materials only – $175
Includes IA&PM Syllabus book with practice tests (mix of multiple choice and graphic AIT format problems), and our ‘Maps and Plans of the LARE’ in pdf format. Webinar/videos not included.
PLANNING AND DESIGN
Webinar and study materials – $400
LIVE SESSION: October 16, 17, 18, 2026 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
PRERECORDED: Video access to our last year’s worth of live sessions, on demand
Over the course of three days, we will prepare for this challenging section. We’ll review the fundamentals of planning and design skills as CLARB has defined them in the past, review some useful references not on CLARB’s list, and practice applying problem-solving techniques on multiple response and graphic AIT formats. The P&D Syllabus contains approximately 260 pages and 185 practice test questions. You’ll also receive separate packets containing 25 design advanced item type (AIT) problems with solutions, our ‘Maps and Plans of the LARE’, CLARB’s 2008 ‘LARE Reference Manual’ and our Section O.
Study materials only – $250
Includes P&D Syllabus book with practice tests (mix of multiple choice and graphic AIT format problems), 25 design advanced item type (AIT) problems with solutions, our ‘Maps and Plans of the LARE’, and CLARB’s 2008 ‘LARE Reference Manual’. Webinar/videos not included.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION
Webinar and study materials – $325
LIVE SESSION: October 24-25, 2026 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
PRERECORDED: Video access to our last year’s worth of live sessions, on demand
We take two days to review CLARB’s test specification topics and use practice exams to assess your knowledge. This section contains a lot of process-oriented material around contracts and construction administration, and some materials and construction detailing that was formerly in the old Section 4. Candidates find plain, simple explanations and discussion of common project processes and roles invaluable. The CD&A Syllabus contains approximately 110 pages of information and 140 practice questions (mix of multiple choice and graphic AIT format problems).
Study materials only – $175
Includes CD&A Syllabus book with practice tests (mix of multiple choice and graphic AIT format problems) in pdf format. Webinar/videos not included.
GRADING DRAINAGE AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Webinar and study materials – $450
LIVE SESSION: October 2, 3, 4, 2026 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
PRERECORDED: Video access to our last year’s worth of live sessions, on demand
This intensive three-day course is invaluable for getting ready for Grading and Drainage. We’ll review CLARB’s topics and work on strategies for analyzing and answering advanced item type questions (AITs). About half of our time will be spent refreshing fundamentals of grading and drainage. We will focus on building and reinforcing skill, speed, and accuracy. The GD&SW Syllabus contains over 200 pages of information, and includes 110 test questions and 43 graphic AIT problems in separate packets that include the problem, its solution, and a step-by-step written guide.
Study materials only – $275
GDSW syllabus book with practice questions in current multiple choice format, extensive packet of AIT problems and solutions, and Extra Help annotated step-by-step guidance for most AITs. Webinar/videos not included.
CALIFORNIA SUPPLEMENTAL EXAM
Webinar, Practice Exam and study materials – $250
LIVE SESSION: September 25, 2026 Noon – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
PRERECORDED: Video access to our last year’s worth of live sessions, on demand
This course includes our CSE Study Materials, reference spreadsheets for planting and codes, short prerecorded lectures on common topics like CA planning, irrigation and planting, and our CSE Practice Exam. It is a great resource for anyone seeking to understand current California practice!
We are currently adding the new California Building Code 2025 changes that were officially issued in July 2026, including the new Part 7 guidelines for the Wildland-Urban Interface. We expect these topics to show up on the CSE in 2027.
Study materials only – $125:
Includes Study Guide and reference spreadsheets for California plants and CA Codes and Regulations. Webinar/videos and Practice Exam not included.
Need help passing a different state exam?
- Florida Section – ASLA Florida offers a review here.
- Georgia – UGA sells a study guide here.
- Hawaii – The state exam looks to be mostly plant materials. Contact Hawaii ASLA.
- Louisiana – State page looks clear with many resources, here.
- Massachusetts – Open book, no study guide needed here.
NEW! BE A BETTER TEST TAKER! (For the LARE!)
Webinar, follow-up one on one, and study materials – $150
LIVE SESSION: October 30, 2026 10 am-noon pm PACIFIC standard time
PRERECORDED: Video access to our June 2026 session, on demand
We’ll review practical methods for analyzing questions and then spend hands-on time applying them. This course is for everyone who knows the content inside and out but just can’t seem to pass the exam! Do you know too much? Do you get distracted by information that’s not relevant, or overthink the information? We have been working with LARE candidates one-on-one since 2019. We can help.
This course will help you with all four sections of the LARE and includes practical tools for tackling both word and graphic problems. Includes a 15 min individual Zoom session with Sarah after course day to troubleshoot your specific issues.
“I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for all your time and effort with the class this weekend. It was very helpful, and you did great handling this new, virtual format. I didn’t think I’d like a Zoom class, but you changed that.”
“I’m extremely happy I took this course, and the Zoom format was actually helpful and efficient—more affordable doing it virtually than paying for a plane ticket and hotel. I would recommend it to everyone”
“I wish more people knew about this course. I enjoyed it so much. I wish we could have done it for four days, not just three! Thank you, Sarah, very much.”
“The course was fantastic—just what I was looking for to steer me in the right direction to prepare for Section 4.”
“Sarah is so knowledgeable and made me feel much more confident about taking the exam. As someone who takes a longer time to learn things, I appreciate how patient, considerate, and encouraging Sarah was. She wants us to succeed!”
“Just wanted to reach out and say thank you for your incredibly informative class. I felt more confident walking out of Exam 4 than any of the other exams. I’d play the recordings on the TV and watch from the treadmill in the weeks leading up to the exam. I think that, coupled with my dog-eared and over-highlighted syllabus, really made a difference.
Thanks again for your class – I’ll be recommending it to anyone I know studying for the LARE!”
“Just wanted to let you know I PASSED!!! Thank you for all of your tutoring help. I will be taking section 3 in December.”
“I’m currently starting to go through your CSE prep course, and I am excited for the content that you have developed. I believe you are doing such an important thing in helping people figure out how to study for this exam (and the LARE exams).”
“I wanted to let you know I finally passed Section 4!!! Thank you so much for your support, your course and your time, really appreciate it.”
“I recently took your Section 2 course and really loved it… (the recorded sessions) really helped me to hear you talk through the topics and hear thoughts/questions from other participants.”
“… I wanted to report back that I ended up passing all 4 sections! I am very appreciative of you and the planning and care that you’ve put into the course. In addition to just covering test specific content, you made it interesting and engaging and the courses were very inspirational. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the work you do as I know it is a labor of love!”
Here’s a short video clip if you’d like to check out the format.
Sarah explains Metes and Bounds in simple terms – so you understand the concepts and remember them.
OTHER RESOURCES
Free LARE resources:
Section O – our general guide to the LARE’s current format and good strategies for test preparation. Updated to include our best advice for the 2023 Blueprint
2008 LARE Reference Manual—scanned pdf of the old reference standards
CLARB’s Eligibility Requirements by state—comprehensive list here
Sign up for our mailing list. We limit our emails and always include an unsubscribe option.
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Bound Hardcopies, $85 We can mail black and white hardcopy, comb-bound course materials for any single section at cost. If you want multiple sections, please purchase a ‘Bound Hardcopies’ item for each section. Allow ten days for shipping.
**This price reflects our current average cost to print and ship a single section’s study materials.**
Are these study materials current?
CLARB’s latest LARE Blueprint launched in 2023. Expect the next major reorganization of the LARE to occur in 2028 or 2029. We recommend you do your best to complete as many sections as you can before that happens.
Our Preparatory Courses for the Landscape Architect Registration Examination were developed over 20 years by Ray Freeman, ASLA. At his retirement, we adapted his materials into online webinars. We run live webinars 6-9 weeks before the official test periods open for each session. Our materials are updated regularly as codes change (the PROWAG issued in 2024 is an example of this – ADA rules have expanded and we think you should be prepared).
Fulfillment Policies
Refunds: We strive to work with LARE candidates and will refund or re-schedule any webinar date at no cost. We reserve the right to issue partial refunds where study guides have already been delivered upon purchase in pdf format.
Delivery: If you order a hard copy of our materials, allow 10 business days for shipping. We charge a flat fee for printing and shipping; it is the same for all sections.
Returns: We do not accept returns on printed materials.