L.A.R.E. Candidate Agreement

The Landscape Architect Registration Examination (“L.A.R.E.”) Candidate Agreement (“Candidate Agreement”) is a legally binding contract between you and the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (“CLARB”) that sets forth the terms and conditions under which CLARB will permit you to register for, schedule and take any section of the L.A.R.E. As used in the Candidate Agreement, the term “L.A.R.E.” refers to the examination as a whole and each of its component parts, including the following: Inventory, Analysis & Project Management; Planning & Design; Construction Documentation & Administration; and Grading, Drainage & Stormwater Management (each, a “Section”). You must read, acknowledge and accept the terms of this Candidate Agreement before you are permitted to register for, schedule and take any Section of the L.A.R.E. If you do not agree to the terms of this Candidate Agreement, you will not be permitted to register for, schedule or take any Section of the L.A.R.E. Your understanding of and compliance with the Candidate Agreement enables CLARB to maintain fair examinations, ensure the validity of examination results and uphold the professional integrity of the licensure process for landscape architects.

By clicking on the ‘I AGREE’ button at the end of the Candidate Agreement, you are affirming to CLARB that all of the below representations and statements to CLARB are true and correct, and you are acknowledging that you have read and understand all of these requirements, rules and policies, and that you agree to abide by all of them.

I have read and meet the requirements to sit for the Section of the L.A.R.E for which I am presently registering. I further understand that it is my responsibility to read, understand and satisfy the requirements of any jurisdiction to which I apply for licensure.

I understand that as a candidate for this administration of the L.A.R.E., I have read and agree to abide by all the policies and procedures contained in the L.A.R.E. Candidate Handbook, the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference and made part of this Candidate Agreement.

I understand that the appropriate registration authority in the jurisdiction in which I apply for licensure is the sole and exclusive authority for all decisions concerning my eligibility for licensure as a landscape architect and that I must satisfy all of the laws, rules and requirements of such jurisdictions for licensure. I further understand that it is my responsibility to contact the registration authority in the jurisdiction(s) in which I wish to become licensed and that I will do so before taking any Section of the L.A.R.E. to determine the requirements that will apply to my application for licensure in that jurisdiction. I further acknowledge that CLARB does not make any decisions regarding licensure in any jurisdiction.

I affirm that I am the person whose name and address appear on my L.A.R.E. registration and the government-issued photo identification that I will present or have presented for admission to the examination. I am taking the L.A.R.E. solely for the purpose of applying for licensure as a landscape architect, and for no other purpose. I affirm that I am not taking the L.A.R.E. on behalf of any other person. I affirm that all information that I provided to CLARB through my CLARB Record and at the time of my registration for this examination and at any time thereafter was complete, accurate and true in every respect and that, if any of the information that I previously provided to CLARB has changed since the time I provided it, I have submitted updated information that is complete, accurate and true, and reflects all such changes. I understand that providing false, misleading or incomplete information to CLARB shall be considered a violation of the Candidate Agreement and will subject me to one or more of the consequences provided herein for violations of the Candidate Agreement.

I authorize CLARB to verify and/or investigate the accuracy and completeness of any and all information I provide to CLARB. I agree to provide CLARB with any additional information that may be requested by CLARB in relation to my eligibility to take any Section of the L.A.R.E. as well as all information related to my exam registration.

I understand and agree that, as a condition of taking each Section of the L.A.R.E., I am subject to security screenings prior to admission and re-admission to the building and/or room where the L.A.R.E. is administered. I further understand and agree that the security screening process may include requiring me to: (1) demonstrate that my pockets are empty, (2) remove any backpack, bag, jacket, non-corrective eyewear, sunglasses, coat, hooded sweatshirt, scarf, or hat (“Prohibited Personal Items”) that I may be wearing or holding (except for a genuine religious purpose), (3) lift my pants up to my knees and push my sleeves up to my elbows, and (4) submit personal items for inspection by testing center staff. I understand and agree that I will not be permitted to take or resume taking the examination if I refuse to submit to security screening as described above or to remove and secure Prohibited Personal Items (except for a genuine religious purpose) prior to entering the room where the L.A.R.E. is administered, at the sole discretion of testing center staff.

I understand and agree that the following conduct, whether attempted or completed, is strictly prohibited:

• Violating any term or condition of the Candidate Agreement, including the policies and procedures set forth in the current L.A.R.E. Candidate Handbook;
• Copying, capturing, recording, collecting, reconstructing, memorizing, discussing, transmitting or distributing L.A.R.E. Content (as defined in this Agreement) before, during or after the administration of the L.A.R.E., by any means;
• Giving or receiving assistance on the L.A.R.E. during the administration of the L.A.R.E., including during examination breaks;
• Refusing or failing to produce acceptable personal identification before or during the administration of the L.A.R.E.;
• Viewing the content of another examinee’s computer display or examination papers during any L.A.R.E. administration;
• Possessing or accessing Prohibited Personal Items while inside a room where the L.A.R.E is being administered;
• Taking the L.A.R.E. on behalf of another person or having another person take the L.A.R.E. on my behalf;
• Possessing, accessing or using a cellular phone or any device that connects to a cellular network or the Internet during the administration of the L.A.R.E. (other than the computer provided by the testing center on which I am taking the examination), including during examination breaks;
• Possessing, accessing or using any electronic device, camera, recording device, or photographic equipment of any kind during the administration of the L.A.R.E., including during examination breaks;
• Possessing, accessing or using any books, notes, papers, note-taking materials, study materials or test-taking aids of any kind during the administration of the L.A.R.E., including during examination breaks;
• Failing or refusing to submit to security screening or the inspection of personal items upon request by testing center staff at any time prior to or during any L.A.R.E. administration, including during examination breaks;
• Failing or refusing to strictly comply with the instructions and requests of testing center staff at any time prior to or during any L.A.R.E. administration, including during examination breaks;
• Removing scratch paper from the room where the L.A.R.E. is administered, during or after the administration of the L.A.R.E;
• Possessing a weapon or firearm in any building where the L.A.R.E. is administered;
• Leaving the building where the testing center is located during any L.A.R.E. administration, including during examination breaks;
• Leaving the room in which the L.A.R.E. is being administered without explicit permission from testing center staff;
• Taking unscheduled breaks during the administration of the L.A.R.E.;
• Providing false information to CLARB or testing center staff, before, during or after the administration of the L.A.R.E.
• Taking the L.A.R.E. despite not being eligible to do so under the policies and procedures for the L.A.R.E. set forth in the current version of the L.A.R.E. Candidate Handbook;
• Making written or electronic notes of any kind while in or near any building where the L.A.R.E. is being administered, before, during or after the administration of the L.A.R.E., except during the administration of the L.A.R.E. while inside the room where the examination is being administered in accordance with CLARB examination administration policies and the instructions provided by testing center staff;
• Altering or misrepresenting L.A.R.E. examination scores;
• Physically or electronically tampering with or hacking any computer on which the L.A.R.E. is administered, before, during or after the administration of the L.A.R.E.
• Engaging in disruptive, threatening, abusive, violent or unprofessional behavior in or near any building where the L.A.R.E. is being administered, including during examination breaks; and
• Talking or communicating with anyone other than testing center staff or an approved test reader (if your request for a test reader accommodation has been approved in writing in advance) during any L.A.R.E. administration, including during examination breaks.

I understand and agree that engaging in any of the above-described prohibited conduct, or attempting to do so, shall be considered a violation of the Candidate Agreement. I agree to follow the instructions and requests of all testing center staff and understand that my failure or refusal to follow instructions or comply with requests from testing center staff shall be considered a violation of the Candidate Agreement.

I affirm that I am not taking the L.A.R.E. in my capacity as a test preparation agent, volunteer or tutor, or for the purpose of obtaining such employment. I affirm that I will not be employed or volunteer as a test preparation agent or tutor for the L.A.R.E. for a period of three (3) years following the completion of this examination.

I am aware that all Sections of the L.A.R.E. are confidential examinations, and that their contents are disclosed to me at the time of test administration in a limited context to permit me to test solely for the purpose of applying for licensure as a landscape architect, and for no other purpose. I understand that all questions, reading passages, answer choices, graphic images and all related examination content contained within any Section of the L.A.R.E. (“L.A.R.E. Content”) are protected by United States and international copyright laws and that L.A.R.E. Content is a trade secret under United States and international law. I agree that I will not discuss or disclose L.A.R.E. Content orally, in writing, on the Internet, or through any other medium existing today or invented in the future. I agree that I will not copy, reproduce, adapt, disclose, or transmit L.A.R.E. Content, in whole or in part, including sharing with artificial intelligence as a study tool, or assist or solicit anyone else in doing the same.

I further agree that I will not reconstruct L.A.R.E. Content from memory, by dictation, or by any other means, for any purpose. I understand that prohibited acts under these terms include, but are not limited to: describing questions, answer choices, passages, images or graphics from any Section of the L.A.R.E.; identifying terms or concepts contained in exam questions or responses; sharing answers to questions; referring others to information I saw on the exam; reconstructing a list of topics on the test; and soliciting or discussing exam questions, answer choices, passages, images, graphics, or topics in person, through telephonic or electronic communication, or on Internet chat rooms, social media, private or public groups, message boards, forums, or through any other means.

I understand and agree that I also am not permitted to possess, solicit, read, study from, or otherwise use confidential information about any Section of the L.A.R.E. during my own exam preparation. I affirm that I have not engaged in such conduct prior to taking any Section of the L.A.R.E. and that I will not engage in such conduct during or after taking the exam. I also agree not to ask any other individual to disclose confidential L.A.R.E. Content to me or to seek out confidential L.A.R.E. Content from any other source. I agree that if I receive or have access to information or material in any form and from any source, including but not limited to email, instant messages, text messages, website content, social media posts, electronic bulletin boards, Internet-based groups, digital or electronic files and/or paper documents, that I reasonably believe contain confidential L.A.R.E. Content, or has been represented to contain L.A.R.E. Content, I will immediately report its existence to CLARB via email. I agree that I will fully cooperate with any investigation by CLARB related to my receipt or access to information believed or represented to contain L.A.R.E. Content.

I understand and agree that CLARB reserves the right to use statistical and psychometric analyses to evaluate the validity of examination response data and scores. I understand and agree that CLARB utilizes these reliable scientific methods to determine whether scores should be withheld, invalidated, canceled or investigated further to determine whether a candidate violated the terms of the Candidate Agreement. I further understand and agree that, if CLARB has a reasonable basis to question the validity of the test response data or examination result for any Section of the L.A.R.E., whether identified through the use of statistical analysis, psychometric analysis or any other reliable scientific method or source of information, CLARB reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to withhold, cancel and invalidate examination scores, without any requirement to demonstrate that I or any other candidate violated the terms of the Candidate Agreement. I agree that if CLARB invalidates my examination score, I will not be entitled to a refund for the examination, and I may be required to pay the established fee to take the examination again, if I am permitted by CLARB to take the examination again.

I understand and agree that CLARB reserves the right to, but is not obligated to, investigate any alleged violation of this Candidate Agreement or any alleged activity or circumstance that may compromise the validity, integrity, or security of any Section or component of the L.A.R.E., or the results thereof. Upon receiving notice from CLARB that it is conducting an investigation related to the examination, I understand and agree that I am required to:

• fully cooperate with the investigation;
• disclose to CLARB all knowledge that could potentially relate to the investigation;
• produce all documents, data and materials requested by CLARB;
• upon request, submit to an in-person or remote interview, in CLARB’s sole discretion, conducted by or on behalf of CLARB; and
• truthfully and completely answer all questions asked by CLARB.

I also understand and agree that if I provide false or misleading information to CLARB at any time, violate the terms of this Candidate Agreement, refuse to comply with any directions given to me by testing center staff, engage in any activity that may compromise the validity, integrity, or security of the L.A.R.E., or fail to fully cooperate in any investigation related to the L.A.R.E., that CLARB may, in its sole discretion, directly or through its authorized representatives:

• Interrupt, suspend and/or terminate the administration of the L.A.R.E. before or while I am taking it;
• Confiscate any item from me during any L.A.R.E. administration that testing center staff reasonably believes is relevant to a potential violation of this Candidate Agreement, including, but not limited to, notes, electronic devices and Prohibited Personal Items;
• Withhold, cancel or invalidate my examination scores, before or after the scores are reported, without a refund;
• Prohibit or disqualify me from taking the L.A.R.E. for a fixed period of time or permanently;
• Notify my employer, each applicable state or provincial registration board, regulator or other agency that my score was with withheld, canceled or invalidated or that I was prohibited or disqualified from taking the L.A.R.E. for a fixed period of time or permanently;
• Require me to reimburse CLARB for its out of pocket investigative and legal costs and expenses for investigating and documenting my violation of the Candidate Agreement;
• Issue a report of the factual findings of an investigation related to my conduct to legitimately interested parties, including, but not limited to, my employer, each applicable state or provincial registration board, regulator or other agency; and
• Pursue a civil lawsuit against me based upon my conduct in violation of the Candidate Agreement and/or refer the matter for criminal prosecution by state and/or federal authorities or any government agency with jurisdiction.

I hereby release, discharge, and exonerate CLARB for any and all liability of every nature and kind arising out of the administration of the L.A.R.E. and the furnishing of information about or relating to me to my employer, each applicable state or provincial registration board, regulator or other agency, in CLARB’s sole discretion.

I agree by checking the box next to the words “I AGREE” below, I am representing to CLARB that all of the prior information and statements that I have provided to CLARB are true and correct, including but not limited to all of the representations contained in this Candidate Agreement and all of the information related to my registration for the L.A.R.E. I am further confirming my agreement to all of the terms and conditions set forth in this Candidate Agreement, including, without limitation, the consequences for making false or misleading statements to CLARB, and for violating any term of this Candidate Agreement.

I also agree by checking the box below, that if there is any part of this Candidate Agreement that I do not understand or agree with, I am not permitted to register for or take any Section of the L.A.R.E.