What Black Spectacles does

Black Spectacles is a private, founder-led online learning platform purpose-built for the architecture profession, founded in 2010 by Marc Teer (a former Gensler architect and Illinois Institute of Technology adjunct professor) and headquartered in Chicago with a Delaware LLC entity. Its core product is comprehensive preparation for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE 5.0) across all six divisions — Practice Management, Project Management, Programming & Analysis, Project Planning & Design, Project Development & Documentation, and Construction & Evaluation — delivered through video lectures with 3D visuals, three unique practice exam forms per division, customizable digital flashcards, quizzes with instant feedback, and a Guided Study Process. Black Spectacles is the first and only NCARB-approved online test prep provider for all six ARE 5.0 divisions, a designation secured in 2019. The platform also offers California Supplemental Exam (CSE) prep, Real-World Practice case studies, a free Spectacular CE platform for AIA/HSW/NCARB AXP continuing education credits, and a mobile app with offline video playback.

Name

Black Spectacles

Legal name

Black Spectacles LLC

Website

https://blackspectacles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Spectacles is an NCARB-approved online learning platform that provides ARE 5.0 and California Supplemental Exam prep, continuing education, and firm licensing to individual architects and major US architecture firms including Gensler, Perkins&Will, Stantec, and SOM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education and Online Learning for Architecture Licensure

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Course Marketplaces (Multi-Instructor Catalogs) (MPACALAA)

Keywords

• Architecture exam prep
• ARE 5.0 prep
• Professional licensing
• Continuing education
• Online learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Individual ARE Exam Prep Subscriptions: Subscription-based online ARE 5.0 exam prep available in Premium, Pro, and Expert tiers on monthly or annual billing cycles. Annual plans offer 2 months free. Includes access to all six ARE divisions.
2. Individual CSE Exam Prep Subscriptions: Subscription-based online California Supplemental Exam (CSE) prep at Expert level, available on monthly or annual billing cycles. Includes Pass the CSE Guarantee.
3. Firm/Group Licenses: Concurrent-seat-based group memberships for architecture firms, providing access for teams as small as two employees. Firms receive admin dashboards, reporting, and bulk onboarding support. CSE prep can be added to firm plans.
4. AIA Chapter Licenses: Specialized group licensing for American Institute of Architects (AIA) chapters.
5. School/Academic Licenses: Group licensing plans for academic institutions offering architecture programs.
6. Spectacular CE (Continuing Education): Free continuing education platform for architects to earn AIA CE credits, HSW hours, and NCARB AXP hours. Revenue model is free-to-user with potential for future premium features or partnership-driven revenue.
7. Referral Program: Customers can earn $50 per successful referral, and referees receive 15% off their membership, driving new customer acquisition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Black Spectacles operates a subscription-based online learning platform that prepares architects for the ARE 5.0 (all six divisions) and California Supplemental Exam, and delivers free AIA-approved continuing education through Spectacular CE. The offering is delivered to individual architects via monthly/annual subscriptions (Premium, Pro, Expert tiers) and to firms, schools, and AIA chapters via group licenses with admin dashboards and reporting.

Product overview

Black Spectacles is an online learning platform for architects offering a comprehensive product portfolio centered on ARE 5.0 Exam Prep (covering all six NCARB-approved divisions: PcM, PjM, PA, PPD, PDD, CE) and CSE Exam Prep for California licensure. The platform operates on a tiered subscription model: Premium (video lectures, practice exams, mobile app), Pro (adds flashcards and Guided Study Process), and Expert (adds Real-World Practice and Pass the ARE Guarantee). Supporting products include Spectacular CE (free mobile-first continuing education for AIA credits and AXP hours), the Mobile App (iOS/Android with offline playback), Practice Exams (3 unique forms per division), Quizzes, Flashcards, and the ARE Community forum. Enterprise offerings include Firm Training & Certifications with admin dashboards, School Licensing, and AIA Chapter Licenses. The company also operates Spectacular, a free job board and career platform. The platform is built on learning science principles with content developed by licensed architects and learning designers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ARE 5.0 Exam Prep Comprehensive subscription-based online exam preparation covering all six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE 5.0): Practice Management, Project Management, Programming & Analysis, Project Planning & Design, Project Development & Documentation, and Construction & Evaluation. Delivered via video lectures, randomized NCARB-aligned practice exams, quizzes, flashcards, study guides, and the Guided Study Process. Targeted at individual architects-in-training and architecture firms.
• CSE Exam Prep Subscription-based online preparation for the California Supplemental Exam (CSE) required for architects seeking licensure in California. Includes video lectures, digital workbooks, a 130-question practice exam, quizzes, customizable flashcards, Guided Study Process, and a Pass the CSE Guarantee. Sold separately from ARE memberships and offered as an add-on to firm plans.
• Spectacular CE Free mobile-first continuing education platform that allows licensed architects to earn AIA continuing education credits, Health/Safety/Welfare (HSW) hours, and NCARB AXP hours. Built in partnership with industry organizations contributing courses on contemporary design, materials, and construction applications. Targeted at licensed architects needing ongoing CE compliance.
• Firm Training & Certifications (Group License) Concurrent-seat group license program for architecture firms providing team-wide access to ARE and CSE prep plus Spectacular CE. Includes a group admin dashboard for adding/removing members, automated monthly reporting, pass rate reporting, white-glove onboarding with a dedicated account representative, and bulk upload CSV management. Available for teams as small as two employees, with volume discounts for larger teams and a 90-day Love It Guarantee.
• School Licensing (Academic Institution) Group licensing program for academic institutions offering accredited architecture programs, providing students and faculty with access to ARE exam prep and design software tutorials. Structured for cohort-wide deployment to support graduate licensure outcomes.
• AIA Chapter Licenses Specialized group licensing program for American Institute of Architects (AIA) local chapters, offering chapter-wide access to Black Spectacles ARE exam prep and continuing education content as a member benefit.
• Spectacular (Career Platform and Job Board) Free online career platform and job board for architects and architecture firms. Enables architects to post resumes, projects, and portfolios and connects them with hiring firms globally. Operates as a standalone site at spectacular.design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members pass ARE 2x faster than NCARB national average
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Atlantis RailminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Atlantis Rail, a leader in modern railing systems, partnered with Black Spectacles Spectacular CE platform to contribute courses focused on contemporary design, materials, and real-world applications in construction.
• National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association (NTMA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026NTMA, the authority on terrazzo and mosaic standards, partnered with Black Spectacles Spectacular CE platform to contribute courses highlighting durability, sustainability, and design versatility to help architects make informed material decisions.
• NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2021Black Spectacles and NOMA partnered to help increase equity in architecture. This partnership supports NOMA's mission to champion diversity within the architecture profession.
• NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019NCARB reviewed and approved Black Spectacles' test prep materials with their Approved Test Prep Provider program in 2019. Black Spectacles became the first company to get all 6 of their courses reviewed and approved by NCARB — pioneering a new standard of quality in architecture exam prep.
• AIA (American Institute of Architects)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Black Spectacles launched the first online ARE test prep solution in partnership with AIA Chicago, which led to a national partnership with AIA. The AIA acknowledged Black Spectacles' work with Marc Teer's elevation to Fellowship. Spectacular CE courses can be documented through the AIA transcript pathway for NCARB AXP hours.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brightwood (formerly PPI / Professional Publications Inc.): Long-established publisher of ARE and other professional licensure prep materials. Direct competitor in the same exam prep category serving the same architecture candidate pool, with overlapping content formats (books, practice questions) but a different go-to-market focused on print and self-study.
• Architect Exam Prep (David Kent Ballast): Independent ARE 5.0 test prep brand built around authored study guides and practice exams. Competes head-to-head with Black Spectacles for individual ARE candidates, though with a narrower, content-led offering rather than a subscription platform.

Emerging players

• Designercize: Adjacent design education platform offering practice-based exercises for designers and architects. Overlaps in audience and skill-development use case, but focused on real-time design critique rather than licensure exam prep.

Broad incumbents

• ArchDaily: Largest global architecture media platform with extensive educational content, podcasts, and learning resources. Comparable as a thought leadership and content hub for architects, though its primary business is media/editorial rather than structured exam preparation.
• LinkedIn Learning: Mass-market professional learning subscription from LinkedIn offering broad courses including architecture and design topics. Competes for architects' learning budget and time, with vastly greater scale, content breadth, and enterprise distribution.
• Coursera: Major online learning platform hosting university-led courses in architecture, construction, and design. Comparable as an online learning destination but does not focus on the regulated architecture licensure pathway.
• Pluralsight: Technology and creative skills learning platform historically used by firms for upskilling. Comparable in B2B enterprise learning motion and tech-skills adjacency, though its core catalog is software/IT rather than professional licensure.
• MasterClass: Premium subscription video learning platform with celebrity-led courses including design and architecture. Comparable as a high-ARPU subscription video learning brand but oriented toward inspirational content rather than structured exam preparation.

Others

• AIA (American Institute of Architects): National professional association for architects that distributes continuing education, learning resources, and benefits to members. Strategic partner of Black Spectacles (AIA Chapter licenses) and an indirect competitor for member-facing educational content and CE delivery.
• NCARB: National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, the body that administers the ARE and approves test prep providers. A regulator/partner for Black Spectacles rather than a competitor, but its program decisions shape the entire addressable market and competitive structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackspectacles
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackspectacles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-spectacles

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Spectacles