Unlike ARE prep courses that dump information on you, ARE Boot Camp teaches you how to study effectively, provides ongoing support, and gives you a clear roadmap to licensing success. ARE exam prep coaching offers personalized guidance and accountability that traditional study materials simply can’t match. This comprehensive approach has helped thousands of ARE candidates get licensed faster and avoid costly retakes since 2015.
This podcast is also available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
I couldn’t sleep the other night, so naturally I was lurking around the internet. I came across people asking about ARE exam prep options:
“Should I buy these expensive ARE 5.0 study materials, or should I sign up for ARE Boot Camp?”
Several people were responding and answering questions about ARE Boot Camp without understanding how ARE Boot Camp actually works or that these are completely different categories of ARE exam prep altogether.
It’s like someone asking a stranger if they should buy a gym membership or hire a personal trainer.
The answer depends on your goals, motivation level, whether you need accountability, and what you can realistically commit to. These are fundamentally different approaches to achieving the same goal.
So let me set the record straight on ARE exam prep and what people get wrong about ARE Boot Camp.
The Biggest Misconception: All ARE Exam Prep is the Same
This is the fundamental misunderstanding I see everywhere. People compare ARE Boot Camp to other ARE prep courses like they’re the same category. They’re not.
The ARE Boot Camp is a live coaching program.
When someone asks:
“Should I use Black Spectacles or Amber Book or just take ARE Boot Camp?”
The answer really depends on your goals, motivation level, whether you need accountability, and how much help you’re looking for.
Here’s what I learned after failing my ARE exams four times over four and a half years:
Having access to ARE study materials doesn’t pass exams or create licensed architects.
Even if you have all the ARE exam books, do you know how to put them together? Do you know how to use them strategically? Do you know how to decipher all this information for the architect registration examination?
It’s like leading a horse to water. Just because you have access to ARE 5.0 study materials doesn’t mean you’re going to pass these architecture license exams.
What ARE Boot Camp Actually Does
The ARE Boot Camp teaches you HOW to approach ARE exam prep, WHAT to study, and how to accomplish this goal WHILE working full time and managing everything else life throws at you.
During the ARE Boot Camp 10-week architect exam prep program we hold your hand and teach you the approach we have used to help thousands of people pass their ARE exams.
The program was modeled after how architecture design studio works:
We have a group meeting once a week for about an hour. We talk about the curriculum we are following, what we did last week, what we’re doing this week, and answer questions about your ARE test preparation.
Between those weekly meetings, ARE Boot Camp participants study between 14-19 hours a week.
They also meet up several times during the week on Zoom, talking about topics, breaking things down, doing practice questions together for their architect registration exam.
I think why this format works so well is we all understand how design studio worked in architecture school and how productive it was. I learned more from my classmates at 3 AM working on projects than I did from professors. Same principle applies to ARE study.
The accountability factor is huge. People tell me constantly:
“Mike, knowing I’m going to see you next week and you’re going to ask how my ARE prep went just makes me study harder.”
Common Myths People Spread About ARE Boot Camp
“ARE Boot Camp is too expensive.”
Passing the ARE is a 700 to 1500 hour project spread over two to three years. When you divide ARE Boot Camp cost by the hours you’ll spend studying, it’s actually the cheapest resource available. We might cost more upfront, but you’ll see the ARE Boot Camp was the cheapest in the long run.
But honestly, while studying for the ARE youll quickly see how your time starts to become much more valuable than your money.
It will always be easier to find and make more money, than it is to find and make more time.
If you’re serious about becoming an architect, The ARE Boot Camp will easily be the highest value and most cost effective resource you use. It’s actually a bargain when you compare it side by side with Black Spectacles, Amber Book and everything else.
“You still have to buy study materials anyway.”
ARE Boot Camp includes extensive ARE study materials I’ve developed over 10 years of helping young architects get licensed. You get video courses, practice questions, study guides, and resources specifically designed for the architect registration examination.
A big portion of our ARE study materials in the program were developed exclusively for the ARE Boot Camp.
Yes, you also need some key ARE reference books, but you’d still need these same reference books even if you studied with Black Spectacles or Amber Book.
The reason other companies don’t mention this is when you’re paying them $200-400 per month, they don’t have the nerve to tell you that you still need to purchase reference books on top of their product.
There is no such thing as a one stop shop ARE prep company.
“ARE Boot Camp doesn’t publish its passing rate.”
The whole passing rate conversation doesn’t make much sense when you think about it.
Here’s the reality:
when you’re actually in the trenches studying for these exams, all the brand loyalty and tribalism disappears. Nobody is exclusively using just Black Spectacles or just Amber Book.
Over 75% of our ARE Boot Camp participants have already tried multiple prep companies before joining us. So how do you even measure a “pass rate” when everyone is using 3-4 different resources?
In ARE Boot Camp we teach people how to use anything and everything to help you study for the ARE. If your boss bought some firm program and you have access to it, we tell you to use it alongside everything else.
When people ask me the pass rate of ARE Boot Camp I tell them:
“ARE Boot Camp success rate is 100%. If your goal is to become a licensed architect, ARE Boot Camp will absolutely help you get there faster.
But you have to understand it’s going to take about 1000 hours of studying and statistically speaking you’ll probably fail 3-6 times before you get there.
You can absolutely do this, but you also have to really want it and be willing to do the work and deal with the setbacks. Your amount of persistence has nothing to do with study materials or prep programs.”
“ARE Boot Camp sounds slower than other ARE exam prep products.”
Other ARE prep companies give opposite advice from what we do in ARE Boot Camp, which is why this program has been continues to be so successful since it first began in 2015.
They say:
“Study for all ARE exams at once and maybe you’ll get lucky.”
I’m not a fan of the “hopefully you’ll get lucky” study approach or promoting “get rich quick schemes”.
We do things strategically and thoroughly, one step at a time.
If your goal is to goal is to pass your exams quickly and efficiently, the fastest was to get to the finish line is by doing it right the first time .
Why This Actually Matters
ARE Boot Camp isn’t about passing one ARE exam in 10 weeks. It’s about creating licensed architects.
If the goal is to become a licensed architect, then stop trying to hack the ARE, rely on luck, or take the shortcut approach to studying. Focus on learning the skills, knowledge, and mindset of becoming an amazing architect. You’ll pass your exams as a byproduct of working your way towards excellence.
Support continues until you pass all your architecture license exams. Failing is part of the process. It’s not about not failing, it’s about getting to the finish line.
ARE Boot Camp works because it’s not just about dumping information on you. It’s about teaching you how to approach this enormous challenge strategically, with support, accountability, and a clear roadmap.
If you want the details about ARE Boot Camp, check out youngarchitect.com/arebootcamp There’s a chat feature if you have questions that goes directly to my phone, and I’d rather talk than type anyway.
The spots are limited because we can’t just open doors to thousands of people. We give a lot of attention to each person who takes the program.
But if you’re serious about getting licensed and tired of getting advice from people who don’t know what they’re talking about, maybe it’s time to try a different approach.
