Black Spectacles Reviews 213

I FINALLY passed thanks to Black Spectacles!!!

Thank you so much for your service!!!! I used your service through a previous firm wide subscription for my initial test and really liked it. I then moved on to another firm which offered Amber book, but after going through the whole course I felt that it wasn't adequate and not as focused on each particular section as Black Spectacles was so I ended up subscribing on my own for the remainder 5 tests! Between the videos and practice exams I was able to pass all of my 5 tests on the first try!!!!! I failed PDD the first time, but it was a particularly difficult version - but even still i probably was 5-10 questions away from passing! I know this as I just passed PDD the second time and it was basically a breeze!!!! Partly due to it being an easier version, and also i studied ferociously! Anyways, thank you again for your service!!!!

I have officially completed all my ARE exams and honestly It was mostly do to the several books I had to purchase NOT the Black Spectacles lectures/ materials. I would say the practice exams where most helpful, but I was very disappointed with the quality of the exam prep material especially for the PA, PPD, and PDD exams. I did not feel like the technical material in the videos was in-depth enough to prepare me for either exam. The only reason I maintained my subscription was for the practice exams, as they provided information on where to find the raw material. I had to buy several hundreds of dollars worth of books to attain the exam material to pass the PPD, PDD, and PA exams. This service overall provides a framework for the exams, but does not prepare you for the more complex exam questions and scenarios. I do not think I would refer this service to anyone else trying to pass these exams especially considering the substantial price for access to the material. Services like this that require extra and tiered payment to help with the ARE is another aspect of the process of become a licensed architect that is very gatekeeping. I am glad I wont have to pay for this subscription again and with this experience from the ARE I will find my exam material to pass the CSE elsewhere, especially because OVER $200 a month for ONE exam is a full scam as is the rest of the testing martial.

Black Spectacles will automatically renew your subscription without notification. There is no phone number available to contact them to resolve issues. You must cancel the subscription within two days to avoid being charged in full. I contacted their online chat support, but the representative asked me to wait for over 50 minutes and then stopped responding. All of my purchase information was clearly listed in my account under Orders and was easy to find.
Update: Black Spectacles eventually responded and refunded the full amount of my subscription after I waited over an hour at my computer before walking away. The representative could have informed me that she would follow up by email instead of asking me to remain on standby. I also strongly recommend that Black Spectacles send advance renewal notifications so members have sufficient time to make changes or cancel if needed. I changed my rating to four stars because the customer service representative followed up on my complaint and genuinely wanted to make the company better and more transparent for customers.

...just follow the Black Spectacles's Study Plan, watch all the videos, do all the Sunday workshops, quizzes, tests, flash cards and get your pass on the first try! Now if things were that easy with the other two exams... Perhaps I need to discover the secret Black Spectacles used when updating their videos and made them so the most important information needed for my exams stuck into my memory!

I've passed 3 out of the 6 and I have to give thanks to Black Spectacles for guiding me throughout the journey. Their videos are exactly what I was looking for in study material. Everyone learns differently and this format is perfect for me. If you like a classroom setting with relatively short concise videos breaking down each concept, give this learning platform a try.

The Black Spectacles are a great source for the ARE exams. The way they articulate their materials, quizzes, and mock exams are exceptionally helpful for preparing candidates to embark on the exams. Never have any matches to their expertise.

Black spectacles was great I passed my first 3 exams the first try. I love their practice exams, they are set up exactly as the real exam, with on screen clock, breaks etc as is in the exam room. Reviewing the practice exam results was even more helpful. They explain why the correct answer is right and why the incorrect answers are wrong. Also love the free compass tshirt they gave!

I signed up for BS in an effort to remove the unnecessary 'brainpower' from studying, beyond the study content itself. I felt overwhelmed by the wide range of resources available and the differing opinions of those who started studying before I did (and their wide-ranging experiences of success and failure). I'm more of a visual learner so initially I wanted more 'content' than what the BS lectures seemed to offer; however, it turns out they were perfectly streamlined, dense, and digestible because I can attribute my success entirely to these and to the practice exams. I generally followed the BS schedule recommendation for each exam (expanding and contracting as needed). Would highly recommend BS for those looking for a 'straightforward' path to follow to get these done (and to learn heaps in the process).

Black Spectacles made it easy for me to pass my remaining 3 exams. Thank you Jessica and team for all your support along the way!

I credited PA from 4.0 and passed the remaining 5 tests, first time, in 7 months.
Black Spectacles gets huge credit for my success.
Quizzes, Flash Cards and AWESOME Practice Exams were fantastic prep.
Many thanks to Jessica & the team !

I took the exams toward the end of 2019 and into early 2020 and passed every exam the first time, one month apart over six months. The videos and practice exams (in particular) were instrumental in making that happen. Great content, and a great foundational resource to use as a jumping-off point to guide your studies. Highly recommend.

Great updated content, videos, quizzes, flashcards, most importantly "real-like" mock exams. Plenty of sample questions.

Latest updates with additional videos and animations are amazing. Practice tests are like the real thing.

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.