Tailor made to help you learn best
Black Spectacles ARE 5.0 test prep videos are designed by architects, for architects. That means that every step of the way, our team of in-house experts and learning designers is thinking about how architects learn best and how we can present information to help you pass the ARE, the first time.
How they're made
A team of architects and education specialists work together to create videos that actually cover what you’ll see on the real exam. This team combs through all the resources in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines and distills all of that information down to the most important parts. We figure out what parts of each resource are likely to be on which exam, and then teach this information more effectively with motion graphics and other methods. This way, you can focus your energy on what’s most likely to be on the exam—while still having the option to dive into the source material if you want to dig deeper.
Each video maps onto an objective for that division, so you can follow along and make sure you’re covering everything you’ll need to know for the exam. Each objective is discussed with an equal level of vigor and detail to make sure you have a solid foundational understanding of everything you’ll need to pass the ARE.
Diversified content to keep you engaged
Look, we get it—studying all the time can get pretty monotonous. That’s why we incorporate three different styles—animated videos, a different expert lecturer for each division, and scenario videos—to present the information in diverse and dynamic ways. This keeps you engaged, and shows you different ways the theoretical concepts can get put to use in real practice.
In the animated videos, you’ll see charts, diagrams, and examples of forms and documents that you’ll encounter on the exam. This matches the visual learning style a lot of architects have, and mimics how you likely studied architecture in school.
These visual elements are mixed in with lectures from different registered architects for each division, who shares how they actually apply the concepts you just learned in practice. Scenario videos do the same, showing you the thought process of real firms as they work through their projects.
This combination gives you a mix of objective instruction that follows NCARB’s objectives, while also giving you real-life experience and expertise that will help you on the ARE and beyond. It also breaks up the content, keeping you engaged and giving you new ways to absorb the material from different perspectives.
Take advantage of a holistic learning environment
The ARE 5.0 test prep videos are designed to be used in harmony with the rest of the Black Spectacles study materials—making it easy for you to identify areas you still need to work on, and giving the tools to review.
Each division has a set of lecture slides available for download, which you can use to structure your note-taking as you watch the lectures.
Each video also has closed captions for accessibility, as well as a transcript of the entire video that you can find beneath the video player. Within the transcript, you can click on a word or concept, and the video will jump back to that point so you can watch that section again and take notes.
You can use the videos as a starting point to cover all your foundational knowledge and see where you need to focus more energy and what you already know. Quiz breaks sprinkled throughout the lecture series will test your knowledge as you go along, and you can use practice exams to mimic exam day and see where you need improvement.
You can also search terms or phrases from the transcript in the flashcards library, making it easy to quickly test your knowledge on terms or concepts you need a refresher on.
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