ILI Professional Practice Exam
| Application deadline 31 August 2026
| Guided study sessions online at lunchtimes in September
| Exam date 10th October 2026
This is the Irish Landscape Institute's Professional Practice qualification and is a requirement for those who wish to become a Corporate Member (MILI). The exam compliments level 8 academic studies in Landscape Architecture attesting of knowledge put into practice.
Eligibility: 2 years full-time experience in Ireland; and 2 years consecutive ILI Graduate Membership. Applications with supporting documentation should be submitted by 31 August. Please see full exam guidance notes below.
The next ILI Professional Practice exam will take place on Saturday morning 10th October 2026, 9.30am-1.30pm. Online lunchtime study sessions x 3 will be in September/ October.
ILI Professional Practice Exam - Application Form
ILI Professional Practice Exam - Work Experience Record Sheet & Project Summary Sheet
Video to introduce the ILI Professional Practice Exam process to candidates(2021)
Summary of requirements:
Eligibility
Candidates must have at least 2 years full-time work experience in Ireland and 2 years consecutive ILI Graduate Membership in order to qualify for the Irish Landscape Institute Professional Practice Examination.
Work Experience records
Candidates are required to submit work experience records together with their application form in the format supplied on this webpage. Sample templates are also available here. The appropriateness of the experience will be judged by the education committee based on the Work Experience Record Book which must be submitted by the candidate.
Exam Fee
The applicant must hold current Graduate Membership of the ILI and submit the Exam fee of €75. Late applications will be accepted at an additional cost of €25 (i.e. €100 in total).
Full details of the application procedure with guidance notes, notification of fees, payment details and request options for study groups to help you prepare, are included below and on the application form. Candidates should download and fill in the form, then return it to us by email.
Details of requirements:
REGISTRATION GUIDANCE NOTES (APPLICATION FORM APPENDIX 1)
1. The closing date for registration for the examination is the 31st AUGUST of the exam year. The Institute will acknowledge receipt of all Registration Forms received by email. Therefore, if an acknowledgement has not been received by email it is the responsibility of candidates to check that the forms have been received by the Institute prior to the closing date.
2. The written examination will consist of two papers and the overall pass mark is set at 60%. A minimum mark of 50% must be attained in each of the papers. Where candidates are considered borderline, i.e. attaining an overall mark of between 50 and 59%, they may be requested to attend an interview, where their suitability for acceptance to full membership will be considered. If candidates successfully pass all parts of the examination they are automatically entitled to apply for election to full professional membership (MILI) of the Institute at the first Council meeting after the examination results are issued, The fee for upgrading is currently €94. Candidates then renew for the full membership fee at the beginning of the next subscription year (1st April).
3. By registering for the examination, candidates are automatically deemed to abide by the examination regulations. These are contained in the Exam Guidance Notes (See Appendix 2). Candidates should read these carefully prior to completing the form.
4. Please remember that all correspondence relating to the examination, including the results, will be sent to the email address provided. This should be considered when deciding whether to use your work or home address. If you change your address you should notify the Institute immediately, in writing, stating that you are a candidate for the Professional Practice Examination.
5. According to examination regulations you must be a graduate member of The Irish Landscape Institute for a minimum of two consecutive years prior to registering for the examination (ref. AGM 2013).
6. Where the candidate is a graduate of an IFLA Europe accredited course, assessment of a candidate’s suitability to sit the examination shall be based on consideration of a candidate’s Work Experience Record Book. This ‘work experience book’ and the ‘record book’ must cover a minimum period of two years experience in Ireland.
7. The examination will be held in Dublin. Confirmation of the actual dates and venue will be announced as far in advance as possible.
8. The examination fees for the Professional Practice examination are as follows: -
- Written Paper: EUR€75.00 (€25 surcharge for late entries after 31st August)
- where the result of a written paper is considered borderline, i.e. attaining between 50 and 59%, a candidate may be invited to present for an oral examination Should the candidate fail or not present for the oral examination, the candidate must re-sit the written paper. Candidates who must undertake an oral examination will receive a request for an additional fee prior to the examination. Additional Oral Examination Fee (only where applicable) : EUR€25.00
- Repeat examination: candidates are not required to pay for the written examination, if re-taken at the next opportunity. This does not apply for a second re-take situation.
Candidates should initially pay the written paper fee only i.e. EUR€75.00 –payable to The Irish Landscape Institute by EFT Payment Reference: ‘ILIEXAM (+ YOUR FIRST INITIAL AND SURNAME)’. Pay by Electronic Fund Transfer to Irish Landscape Institute Ltd., Bank of Ireland, 104 Ranelagh, Dublin 6; Account number: 18502252 Sort Code: 90 01 99 IBAN: IE71BOFI90019918502252 BIC/SWIFT: BOFI IE2D
9. Candidates will receive confirmation of registration acceptance together with further information about preparing for the examination. Submission of the Work Experience Record Book should be sent along with your application form and payment by the advised deadline. If payment has been made and the exam committee finds that you are not eligible to sit the exam, a refund will be given.
EXAM GUIDANCE NOTES (APPLICATION FORM APPENDIX 2)
1.0 Regulations and Syllabus for the Professional Practice Examination
Guidance Notes and previous examples of the Professional Practice Examination are supplied on the Irish Landscape Institute website.
2.0 Professional Practice Examination
2.1 The purpose of the Professional Practice Examination is to establish a candidate’s fitness to be admitted to full professional membership of the Irish Landscape Institute. The exam is a means of establishing whether a candidate has attained an appropriate level of technical and professional competence in professional practice.
2.2 Candidates are expected to demonstrate that they are capable of the practical interpretation and application of their knowledge.
3.0 Eligibility
3.1 Candidates should be graduate members of the Irish Landscape Institute for 2 consecutive years.
3.2 Candidates should have commenced the minimum qualifying work experience 2 years prior to taking the examination. Work experience is to be supervised by a professional landscape architect who is a full member of the Irish Landscape Institute.
3.3 Applicants who fail in these two principal requirements will be considered ineligible to take the examination.
4.0 Prior Experience
4.1 Where candidates are graduates of an ILI/EFLA accredited landscape course and wish to take the Professional Practice examination they must have at least 2 years postgraduate full time experience or the equivalent in order to qualify to take the examination. The appropriateness of the experience will be judged by the Council of the ILI based on the Work Experience Record Book, which must be submitted by the candidate. The purpose of the record is in order to assess the extent to which the work experience qualifies the candidate to act in a professional capacity as a landscape practitioner.
4.2 Regular part time work is acceptable provided that it is equivalent in total to 2 years full time experience.Candidates who are deemed not to have had adequate prior experience will not be permitted to take the examination.
5.0 Recording of Experience – Work Experience Record Book (must be submitted in the format of the template provided)
5.1 During their qualifying work experience all candidates must complete the Work Experience Record Book. This document is available from the Irish Landscape Institute website. Candidates are advised to start to fill in their Work Experience Record Books as soon as they start work (see sample provided).
5.2 Professional Practice competency will be assessed, by written paper. Where, on the basis of the written paper, a candidate’s results are considered to be borderline they shall be requested to present for an oral examination of their professional practice knowledge. Where an oral examination is required the candidate shall normally be interviewed and assessed by two examiners from the ILI Council.
Reading List
ILI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
Environmental Impact Assessment
Fingal County Council Planning Applications
Contract Examples for Public Works
Forms of Tender and Schedules (Works)
Further Recommended Reading List
ILI Professional Practice Examination Past Papers
For Students Requiring Assistance
Reasonable accommodations can be made available to students with dyslexia when sitting examinations. The accommodations are intended to limit the impact of the candidate’s disability on their exam performance, while not giving the candidate any unfair advantage.
The options students with dyslexia can apply for if they meet the criteria are:
- Waiver from the assessment of spelling, grammar and punctuation in the language subjects
- Use of a Recording Device or Word Processor/Laptop (occasionally voice dictation)
- Assistive Technology - the most commonly used assistive technology option for students with dyslexia is a computer/laptop. Reading Pens are also an option. The technology must be provided by the student.
The ILI must be satisfied that this will not jeopardise the integrity of the exam.
If you are a professional member of another IFLA recognised Landscape Architecture association, you might be eligible to migrate membership via IFLA.
