Our Preparatory Courses for the Landscape Architect Registration Examination were developed over 20 years by Ray Freeman, ASLA. At his retirement, we worked with Ray to adapt his materials into online webinars.
We meet in real time, from 8:30 am (Pacific Standard Time) until around 5:00 pm PST, with a break for lunch. Our password-protected Zoom classroom allows us to learn from the group’s diverse practice experiences, mark up design problems on a shared screen and discuss exam issues. All sessions are recorded and password-protected videos are shared with webinar participants, allowing for anonymous or asynchronous participation. Contact us if you have questions.
It’s very rewarding to take this virtual sabbatical with design professionals from all across North America. Feedback has been pretty positive, see below…. Join us!
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.
2025 Webinars and Study Materials
We’ve worked hard to provide different pathways to support you in preparing for the LARE.
- Our live webinars include a mix of lecture, discussion, and practice tests in a friendly, supportive environment. Extensive study materials are provided for your use after the weekend is over. You will understand what the LARE includes, know what you still need to work on, and you will know how to find the information you need to fill in the gaps.
- 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 content included). Purchase through our online store gives you immediate access to extensive reference materials, practice exams, and graphic AIT practice problems for P&D and GDSW in PDF format. We’ll connect you with a study group too.
Your access never expires, though we may provide newer materials if significant time has passed. You are always welcome to repeat a webinar if you didn’t quite make it over the top – no extra charge.
We also offer a small discount for Canadian candidates to help with the exchange rate – contact us to find out more.
live webinars For 2025
Spring 2025 webinars are open for registration! All webinars take place in a Zoom classroom and are composed of lecture, discussion, and practice exams that we do together and review. Register through Eventbrite by clicking on the name of the event you’d like to attend – you’ll be taken to the event page.
California Supplemental Exam review – $75 (last run at this price!)
May 30, 2025 Noon – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
Over 5 hours, we review the major topics that are unique to California – planting, irrigation, and state law related to accessibility, natural resource protection, permit review processes, CEQA, MWELO, and new CalGREEN and Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy legislation.
This course and study guide is useful for any landscape professional seeking to update their understanding of the current California legal environment. An online practice exam is in the works!
Need help passing a different state exam?
Grading, Drainage and Stormwater Management – $450
June 6, 7, 8, 2025 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
This intensive three-day course prepares candidates in building technical skills and comprehension. This course includes a review of CLARB’s topics and strategy tips 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 Advanced Item Type problems in separate packets that include the problem, its solution, and a step-by-step written guide.
Planning and Design – $400
June 20, 21, 22, 2025 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
Over the course of three days, we will prepare for one of the most challenging of the four LARE sections. Students will be exposed to the fundamentals of planning and design skills as CLARB has defined them in the past, and we will practice applying problem-solving techniques on sample test questions in graphic and multiple response formats. The P&D Syllabus contains approximately 260 pages and 185 practice test questions. Students also receive separate packets containing 25 design advanced item type (AIT) problems with solutions, for practice during class and for follow-up study group use.
Inventory, Analysis and Project Management – $250
June 27, 2025 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
During this intensive one-day course, we review CLARB’s test specification topics and use practice exams to assess candidates’ 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. The 2023 Blueprint also includes graphic format AIT questions for this section, and we will practice with new course material.
Construction Documentation and Administration – $325
June 28-29, 2025 8:30 am – 5 pm PACIFIC standard time
The new Blueprint has added a significant amount of new content that you should be prepared for. 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. We have also developed graphic format AIT practice problems for this section – new for the 2023 Blueprint.
attend on your own schedule – with our video sessions
We record every webinar session. Watching our videos and using our study materials allows you to work on your own schedule. Purchase through the links below to get immediate access to study materials and a password to access video content through our Video Resources page. This is relatively new on our page, so contact us if you’re having trouble.
Prerecorded video sessions provide the same content and cost the same as live webinars. You are welcome to join us later, at any time, in the live Zoom classroom at no additional cost if you wish to get that real-time interactive experience.
We offer video webinars for all four sections of the LARE, plus the California Supplemental Exam.
INVENTORY, ANALYSIS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT $250
Pre-recorded video webinar sessions and all study materials
PLANNING AND DESIGN $400
Pre-recorded video webinar sessions and all study materials
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION & ADMINISTRATION $325
Pre-recorded video webinar sessions and all study materials
GRADING, DRAINAGE & STORMWATER MANAGEMENT $450
Pre-recorded video webinar sessions and all study materials
CALIFORNIA SUPPLEMENTAL EXAM $250
Pre-recorded video webinar sessions and all study materials
OTHER RESOURCES
Independent Study Materials:
If your schedule or budget can’t accommodate our live webinar, purchase the study materials as pdf documents and work on your own. Includes everything except webinar/video access. All sections have been updated for the 2023 Blueprint!
Click on the section title you want for our new direct purchase links with Paypal – you will get immediate access to the materials in pdf format.
——————————————————————-
Construction Doc & Admin (S1), $175: Includes Syllabus book with practice tests in current multiple choice format and new graphic format AIT practice problems.
Inventory, Analysis, & Project Mgmt (S2), $125: Includes Syllabus book with practice tests in current multiple choice format and new graphic format AIT practice problems.
Planning & Design (S3), $250: Includes Syllabus book with practice questions in current multiple choice format, AIT problems and solutions. We also include the old 2008 LARE Reference Manual and our ‘Maps and Plans of the LARE’.
Grading Drainage & Stormwater Mgmt (S4), $275: Includes Syllabus book with practice questions in current multiple choice format, AIT problems and solutions, and Extra Help annotated step-by-step guidance for most AITs. —————————————————————————-
Bound Hardcopies, $40 We can mail hardcopy, bound course materials for any section for a small additional cost to cover printing and postage. Allow ten days for shipping.
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—interactive map here
Sign up for our mailing list. We limit our emails and always include an unsubscribe option.
“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!”
CLARB’s new LARE Blueprint launched in 2023. Our materials have been completely updated for the 2023 Blueprint.
What about the new LARE?
The new Blueprint brings changes that we think are good for LARE candidates. 2024 webinars will continue on as usual, 6-9 weeks before the official test periods open for each session.
We always incorporate new info as it becomes available – so all study materials are current and up to date.
All remaining 2024 webinars are now open for registration!
Watch this space and subscribe to our mailing list for more information.