Since our founding, Black Spectacles has partnered with AIA chapters nationwide to offer superior ARE test prep materials that compliment your existing efforts to help members get licensed, ensuring your community continues to thrive and grow.
We are the first and only NCARB approved online test prep materials for all 6 divisions of the ARE 5.0.
As an AIA Fellow, my driving passion is to help more architects get licensed and thrive in their careers. Our AIA Chapter memberships are designed to help your members pass the ARE faster so they can begin contributing to our thriving architect community through the career of their dreams.
Marc Teer, FAIA
CEO + Founder of Black Spectacles
Why Black Spectacles:
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High Pass Rates
Candidates who use Black Spectacles report much higher ARE 5.0 pass rates than NCARB’s national averages for every division. View our pass rates.
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Enhance Your ARE Resources
Offering the only NCARB Approved online test prep materials for all 6 divisions of the ARE 5.0, Black Spectacles can supplement your in-house ARE test prep efforts and give the emerging professionals in your group a powerful online study option that helps them get licensed faster.
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Flexible + Affordable
AIA group memberships are available to chapters with as few as 5 testing candidates and only require a 3-month commitment. Our resources can be accessed by members anytime, from anywhere, even if your members are spread across a large geographic area.
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Reporting + Visibility
Easily check on the usage of your group account, and enable members to study on desktop or mobile devices with a built-in dashboard that helps them track their individual progress.
What's included:
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video lectures
Candidates get a comprehensive lesson with full outlines and explanations of core topics in each division, led by veteran architect Mike Newman, one of the most engaging and informative instructors in the business. Black Spectacles offers over 120 hours of video lectures, all built in alignment with NCARB’s exam objectives.
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practice exams
Our practice exams simulate the look, feel and time constraints of the real exams and include 3 distinct forms to practice with, so there aren't any surprises on test day. We use the same process as NCARB to design our ARE® practice questions, which are developed and vetted by leading learning designers and test question experts.
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digital flashcards
Hundreds of built-in flashcards allow students to memorize relevant content, words, and objectives with each card linking to a video lecture for further explanation. In tracking progress, candidates can shuffle the deck, mark flashcards as mastered, and create their own.
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virtual workshops
Your members will get hand-on experience with key concepts in live-streamed workshops guided by licensed architects. Our virtual workshops focus on the top topics that testing candidates struggle with the most, and offer a unique opportunity to participate in group exercises, get one-on-one help, and have questions answered on the spot.