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License by Design — ARE + CSE exam preparation

California Architects Board exam

California Supplemental Examination

New members: $99/month (previously $199/month; plus applicable tax) for all six ARE divisions and the California CSE. Free CSE sample questions, no account needed; the free sample lesson is PcM only.

The knowledge California expects of a newly licensed architect beyond the national exam — organized around the Board's CSE Test Plan and the state-specific conditions it addresses.

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CSE

01Exam facts

Format
Computer-delivered, multiple-choice
When required
Must be completed before licensure in California
Content basis
CSE Test Plan, developed from a periodic occupational survey of California practice

Source: California Architects Board (CAB CSE overview page), checked October 1, 2026. Always confirm with the official source before your exam.

02Who it's for

  • Candidates who have completed or are completing the ARE and intend to practice in California
  • Architects licensed in another jurisdiction seeking California licensure
  • Professionals who want California requirements explained apart from national exam content

03Learning approach

  1. 1

    Start from the Test Plan

    All 25 teaching sections are mapped to the California Architects Board's CSE knowledge statements. This lesson mapping does not mean the practice questions follow the official exam blueprint — that alignment is not yet established for CSE.

  2. 2

    Apply to California practice

    Practice scenarios are set in California contexts rather than reused from national material.

  3. 3

    Cite the source

    Review points back to the Board's reference material, so you know where each answer comes from.

04Curriculum

Loading the curriculum outline…

05Decisions you'll practice

  • How California requirements shape what an architect may do before and after licensure
  • What a California practitioner must include in a written agreement with a client
  • How to respond to a situation the Board's rules treat differently from general practice

Examples of the kinds of decisions covered. Not actual exam questions.

06Published now

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07Sample

No free sample is approved yet. The curriculum outline above lists every published section; How It Works explains the study flow.

08Questions

Start with CSE.

One $99/month membership (previously $199/month) opens CSE and every other published program, including all six ARE divisions. Checking membership availability…

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