Qualify & Apply for Exam

Board exam standard

The Board's examination requirement for registration is passage of all sections of the LARE or the equivalent from past versions of the CLARB national examination. The current LARE is a four-part examination. All four parts of this examination are administered by CLARB through independent testing facilities. See the Exam Dates and Fees page for more details. The Board works with CLARB to determine equivalency of past vs. current examination forms.  The Board does NOT accept any other past or current state or provincial examinations in lieu of the LARE.  

Board education and work experience standards

Pathways to Registration

The Board offers 8 pathways to registration, and each pathway requires 8 years of quaifying experience. How that experience is gained varies by pathway in terms of education and work experience credit needed. See the summary table of "8 by 8" pathways to registration for an overview. This table is provided as a guide, but the Board's administrative rules are definitive with respect to the requirements of the pathways. See also below for further summation of the various pathways.

LAAB/LAAC Degree Pathway

Either a LAAB or LAAC degree is considered by the Board to equate to 5 years of education experience. The Board does not require any supplemental work experience to meet the education standard. The Board does require 3 years of qualifying work experience under its separate work experience standard. In other words, a total of 8 years of qualifying experience from education and work experience is required.

Non-LAAB/LAAC Degree Pathways

In lieu of an LAAB/LAAC degree, an applicant for registration may satisfy the Board’s education requirement by accumulating the required 5 years of education credit through a combination of education and supplemental work experience. This work experience is in addition to the 3 years of work experience needed under the Board's separate work experience standard. In all cases, a total of 8 years of qualifying experience is required with 5 being from education equivalency.

Education Crediting  

Note: The degrees listed below cannot be combined to satisfy the 5-year education requirement.

• Non-accredited B.L.A or M.L.A. = 4 years education credit; 1 year of supplemental work experience required
  
• Certificate in Landscape Architecture = 2 years education credit; 3 years of supplemental work experience required
  
• Accredited B.Arch. or M.Arch = 4 years education credit; 1 year of supplemental work experience required
  
• Accredited degree in Civil Engineering = 4 years education credit; 1 year of supplemental work experience required
  
• Any other Bachelor's degree = 2 years education credit; 3 years of supplemental work experience required
• Any Associate's degree = 1 year of education credit; 4 years of supplemental work experience required
  

Supplemental Work Experience for Non-LAAB Degrees

• Up to three (3) years of diversified experience in landscape architecture under the direct supervision of a licensed or registered Landscape Architect can fulfill the balance of the 5 years required to meet the education standard. See the above list for the years required by type of degree. Note: Work experience applied to meet the education standard may not also be used to satisfy the separate work experience standard for registration as a Landscape Architect. 
  

For the specific details of the Board's education and experience standards, see Board rules in OAR Chapter 804 Division 10 and Division 20. All Board rules can be accessed from the Laws & Rules page of the Board website.