Black SpectaclesReviews of blackspectacles.com

Black Spectacles was exactly what I needed to prep for the ARE. I sailed right through exams with only one re take. The video lectures were spot on with enough detail to get the point across. While the practical application videos might have been more informative if you are just starting your career I thought these could be expounded upon so skipped most. I did not use the flash cards much, but then again that is not how I retain information. The practice exams were the absolute best! I watched the videos and took practice exams over and over until I was confident with my scores. I highly recommend Black Spectacles to anyone studying for the ARE. Note, I have been practicing since 2006 and also have 7 years background as a General Contractor so the fundamentals are solid and I did not use any other material other than grazing Graphic Standards and the Architectural Handbook for Professional Practice. Also, I took all of the exams under 4.0 but life gets in the way and I did not pass within the 5 year rolling clock. For 4.0 I used Ballast and Kaplan books which were helpful but also dry and overwhelming due to the amount of information. This time around I decided on Black Spectacles and am very happy I did so. Keep taking those practice exams until you are getting a solid 90% and you will be well prepped for the test version. Thank you Black Spectacles!!

I only had PPD and PDD left to take when I signed up for Black Spectacles so my experience may be different than others'. It is very expensive for what I found to be useful. I would recommend BS for practice exams and quizzes but not sure it is really worth the money. The videos are not very engaging or detailed (very few visuals) so they are a bit hard to follow and I didn't end up using them that much.

Without Black Spectacles I wouldn't be licensed.

after using other resources, I was only able to pass 2 of the 6 exams. I then turned to black spectacles, and passed the remaining 4 exams each on the first try. the only reason I was able to pass is 1000% because of these practice exams. the videos were also helpful, but these practice exams are just like the real thing, and the only thing that could have prepared me to perform successfully at the exams. I have recommended BS to all of my friends and colleagues. thank you black spectacles!!!

I hadn't sat for an ARE exam in 3+ years and passed PPD and PDD on the first try back. The practice exams and quizzes provided through Black Spectacles are comparable to what you'd see on the exam. The videos were helpful for me as someone who hasn't been in a traditional architecture role for a few years. I find the videos to be a bit slow, so I listen to them at 2Xs normal speed. I think the videos could be improved with different reference images/drawings rather than watching the speaker sketch everything out. I tend to fall asleep while reading technical study materials, so the videos were really helpful when I knew I was too tired to read. I used Black Spectacles along with other study materials... it's a very helpful resource, but I definitely needed supplemental materials.

I highly recommend Black Spectacles as a resource for studying for the ARE's.

Good study materials and a great practice for the actual exam. Very satifisfied with the product, and I really noticed the positive impact it had on my test results.

truly an invaluable resource. ESPECIALLY the practice exams. the videos I found helpful but long-winded, and I definitely needed to study content from sources other than black spectacles, but setting the context with the vids, and then using the practice exams as a framework to learn more specific content proved to work for me. Was very helpful in passing my exams!