What Order Should You Take the LARE Sections In?

There’s no required sequence. You can take the four sections in any order, one at a time or several in a single administration, so the real question is which order fits you. One caveat: CLARB’s rules and your state board’s can change, so confirm them before you plan.

What the Rules Allow

CLARB lets you take the sections in any order, and you can sit for more than one section in the same administration window. Each section is passed or failed on its own, and you keep credit for the sections you pass. You only retake the ones you fail.

The catch is your jurisdiction. Some boards limit retakes or set a deadline for finishing all four sections, and that can change your strategy, so check your board’s rules first. CLARB also offers online proctoring through PSI, so you can test from home if your setup meets the requirements, or at a PSI testing center. See CLARB’s exam process page for current details.

The Four Sections

1. Inventory, Analysis, and Project Management (IAPM)
2. Planning and Design (P&D)
3. Construction Documentation and Administration (CDA)
4. Grading, Drainage, and Stormwater Management (GDSM)

My Recommended Sequence

Numerical order is fine, but I’d choose based on your strengths and your day job.

Start with the section closest to your daily work. An early pass builds momentum and shows you what the exam feels like. If you spend your days producing plans, specs, and handling submittals, CDA may be your best opener. If you do a lot of site analysis and manage projects, start with IAPM.

Give GDSM the most runway. It demands the most calculation and technical recall, and many candidates find it the toughest section. Don’t schedule it during your busiest stretch at work.

Take the section you fear most in the middle, not last. Saving it for the end lets the dread build, and if you fail it near a deadline, you may have no room to retake.

Don’t leave your weakest section for last if your jurisdiction has a time limit. A retake needs a cushion.

Pairs That Make Sense Together

Some sections overlap enough that studying them back to back pays off.

• IAPM and P&D: Site inventory and analysis feed directly into planning and design decisions. The two share a lot of vocabulary and thinking, and many candidates find they reinforce each other.
• CDA and GDSM: Both are technical and detail-heavy. The grading and drainage knowledge in GDSM shows up in how you prepare and review construction documents, and the CDA mindset of precision helps with GDSM.
• P&D and GDSM: Good site design depends on understanding how water and grade work, so these two support each other too.

These pairings are my judgment from experience, not an official CLARB recommendation, so test them against your own background.

Should You Take Several at Once?

The rules allow it, but I’d be cautious. Stacking sections in one administration forces you to prepare for several at once, which dilutes your focus, and it puts more at risk if one goes badly. Most people do better preparing for one section properly, sitting it, then moving on.

Combining makes the most sense when:

• Two sections overlap heavily in content
• You have a licensing deadline or a tight timeline
• You have real prep time, not just ambition

If you do combine, limit it to two overlapping sections, and space the appointments out rather than booking them back to back.

A Practical Plan

1. Check your state board’s rules first, especially any time limit or retake limit.
2. Rank the four sections by confidence, from strongest to weakest.
3. Open with a section you’re likely to pass, then take on the harder ones with that win behind you.
4. Study one or two sections at a time, using the same weekly routine and timed practice for each.
5. Book each date early. A firm date keeps the prep honest.
6. Leave a buffer at the end for any retake you might need.

The Bottom Line

There’s no wrong order, only the one that fits your experience, schedule, and deadlines. Start where you’re strongest, group overlapping sections when it helps, give GDSM proper runway, and don’t try to do it all at once. Passing one section at a time still gets you licensed.

Administration dates, fees, and retake rules change, so confirm current details with CLARB and your state licensing board before you build your timeline.

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