LARE RESULTS

[Elliott Smith]

Hello All,

I have taken all 4 sections of the LARE twice this year and have done all sections each time.  I have ended up failing both times.  I have studied most everything out there over this year and have read through TSS a few times as well.  My scores have improved but not enough to pass. I was wondering if there is something I'm missing to be able to pass these sections?  Could anyone who has passed share any insight into what got them over the hump?  Thanks.

[Tamara Sorensen]

I have passed three out of the four tests so far (didn't pass Section 4 on this last round). I have taken them one at a time and spent the 2-3 months ahead of time studying for each section. It's been a system for me that has worked thus far (well until Section 4). The amount of reading materials has been huge and I'm always in disbelief that people try to take them all at once. My personal opinion that the reading requirements are just way too vast to accomplish more than taking one at a time. I've known people that have taken Section 2 and 3 together and have passed both but the reading overlaps somewhat for those sections. 

[Elliott Smith]

Thanks for the response Tamara! Yea I have thought about maybe just focusing on two sections this time around and see if I’m able to get a better result. The benefit of taking them all has been getting to see what each test is like and becoming more familiar with the material. The downside has been that I haven’t been able to pass any sections. I also felt pretty confident with each one this last time around so I’m wondering if I’m getting tripped up on the actual questions themselves.

[Sophie S]

Hi Elliott,

I'd echo Tamara's input. There is just so much material to study for each individual exam and they build on each other. It's not just about having an idea about it, but really understanding how the material is applied. Reading TSS is one thing, but internalizing it is another. If you've gone through all of them twice, all at once, I'd suggest focusing on one and seeing if that improves your score. 

good luck!

[Arianna Netzky]

I just did Section 1 and 2 this past August (and passed), and I am attempting Section 3 and 4 in December.  Two exams during the same testing period is possible (and time consuming), but I could not even imagine doing all four.  I spaced my exams out; one at the beginning of the testing period, and one at the end.  This helped my brain switch gears, sort of speak.  Good luck and well wishes for your next time around.

Arianna

[Elliott Smith]

Thanks for the replies Sophie and Arianna!  I really appreciate them!  Hopefully just doing two sections will allow for more passing in my case.  Arianna I would suggest TSS for those sections and Sustainable site design by Meg Calkins for Section 3. Arianna If I may ask, what material did you cover that helped you pass 1 and 2?

[Tamara Sorensen]

For section 2 I would consider reading sections out of LAGS (Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards) that seem applicable. I'd go through some practice tests first to get an idea on the content/topics that will be covered and then read chapters from LAGS that seem appropriate. I felt like it really helped me, though I read more from LAGS than I did from TSS for Section 2 and there definitely some questions that directly came from it. 

[Benjamin Haim]

Wow, you took all 4 sections at once?  If I were you, I wouldn't even do TWO sections at a time.  Let's put it this way- for me to pass one of the sections, it required immense amounts of studying that included reading, flashcard review, practice tests, etc etc.  This totaled up to about 5-8 hours of studying per week 6 weeks prior to taking just one section.  Still, I failed section 1 and 4 the first time around.  I only passed section 2 the first time.  Haven't taken 3 yet.  I've heard of a few that took two sections at a time and passed but it's rare. 

[Benjamin Haim]

Anyways, good luck!  It is great that you at least got a feel for the exams.  That's one of the biggest anxieties there are- not knowing what the exam questions are like.  The practice tests/quizzes out there may or may not mimic what the exam is really like and that's a concern for all (based on what I heard, practice tests from Shake n' bake are a no-no, CLARB practice exams are the best for obvious reasons but they don't have many).