Black SpectaclesReviews of blackspectacles.com

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!!

Without Black Spectacles I wouldn't be licensed.