Who is course creator Michael Ermann?

• Professor Michael Ermann, AIA has authored or co-authored eight journal papers in the field of acoustics, and presented more than 30 papers on building systems. He authored the book Architectural Acoustics Illustrated (Wiley, 2015), which NCARB turned, verbatim, into a seven-part "Continuum Education" course. He is the former Undergraduate Architecture Program Co-chairman, and has earned two AIA design awards, two School of Architecture teaching awards, research awards from both the school and the state AIA chapter, and in 2019, the AIA Virginia Award for Distinguished Achievement for contributions to the profession as an educator and researcher.

  Ermann's design for his own Bubble Wrap House earned an International Architizer A+ Award. Prior to joining the VT faculty Professor Ermann was an acoustical consultant in New York City and Florida. He received a bachelor of science in mathematics from Tulane University and a master of architecture degree from the University of Florida. He was the first person to pass all six ARE 5.0 divisions and enjoys hosting ARE Building Systems prep courses for those in practice. He’s taught over 1,500 at his in-person ARE exam prep seminars for AIA New York, AIA Miami, AIA Northern Virginia, AIA New Mexico, AIA Triangle (Raleigh), AIA Houston, AIA Alaska, and AIA Washington DC seminars--and more than 17,000 with his Amber Book online course.

  Michael works with a team of dedicated professionals. We all are here for you because we care about a better built environment.

You say that I can pass these exams with this course, even if I don’t study other material. Can this be?

• Yes. . . . and no. Bear with me, here.

  I believe that this video series gets you the highest likelihood of passing in the least amount of time. With the ARE 5.0, if you have an 85% chance of passing each of the six exams, that means you have only about a 38% chance of passing all six exams on the first try. Most of the exams have pass rates about 55%, So the goal for most of you isn’t to pass this next exam, but rather to get licensed as quickly as possible. That may involve some division re-takes. The penalty for an ARE division fail just isn’t that severe. Dust yourself off and retake in 60 days.

  For most people, I don’t think that studying additional content will, on average, get them licensed as quickly as going through Amber Book and taking the exams without additional studying (then retaking any exams that you don’t pass as soon as possible). It is natural to feel that failing an exam is a setback, but so is spending 50 extra unnecessary hours to pass one of the exam divisions. In the latter case, you just never receive confirmation of the error because you got the pass from NCARB and don’t know you overstudied.

I don’t understand the previous paragraph. Can you explain it more clearly?

• This course offers the highest likelihood of passing the most exams in the least amount of study time.

Do you really think I should take all my remaining exam divisions right after I finish the course?

• Yes! This suggestion isn’t based on a deep-held conviction, but rather sprouted organically from the emails I’ve received from folks who took the test right away–and from sad emails from those who waited. In other words, we’ve had lots of people email saying they wish they’d taken their exams closer together, lots saying they were glad they took them together, and very few saying they wish they’d taken them further apart.

  We suggest you study for all your remaining exam divisions at once and then take them all at once as if it was a single test given in six parts. That said, some Amber Book enrollees choose to study for one exam division at a time, and we support that too.

Does Amber Book cover all six divisions of ARE 5.0?

• Yes. The Amber Book course covers all of ARE 5.0.

Is Amber Book broken up by exam division?

• No.

  NCARB redistributed exam content in the 5.0 exams to better align with how a project flows through an office, rather than how content was taught in school broken up by topics relevant to all six exam divisions.

  There is a ton of overlap in the 5.0 divisions and they cover a wide breadth of information, PPD and PDD especially. These are the main reasons why the course is broken up by broader topics that are relevant to all 6 exams. See our study matrix below for the breakdown.

  

How quickly can I go through the course?

• One month is the fastest you could go through the course, though that would be an intense month and could not happen concurrent to a full time job. Average enrollment lasts about 3 - 4 months. Once you sign up, you can use the 16-week suggested study schedule or the 8-week suggested study schedule to help you establish your study cadence.

  If you’re already enrolled in the course, you can reach out for a 20 Minutes of Quick Start session with Julie, a licensed architect who’s also one of our content creators to develop a study plan just for you! You can schedule a session with Julie or email her at [email protected]

How do you decide what to cover in your course?

• We prioritize content based on “yield.” To calculate the yield, we not only consider the content of the exam, but also how much time it would take you to study that content, how familiar you are likely to be with that content already, and how many questions related to that content are likely to show up on your exam.

How old is the course content?

• We are actively committed to keeping the course relevant. We’re always adding content and we monitor the course daily for opportunities to improve your learning experience.

Do you have practice exams for each division?

• Yes, we have a practice exam for each division.

Do you have content on case studies?

• Yes, lots of case studies. Thirteen of them.

Does the course come with a hardcopy book?

• Yes, when you gain access to the course you’ll find the form to request a hardcopy of the 375-page illustrated workbook. At that time you can also download a pdf version of the workbook.

What is the difference between the workbook and the videos?

• Our ARE 5.0 workbook includes a small portion of the overall content in the course. The workbook is intended to act as a companion to the animated videos, and I recommend watching the videos with the workbook (which is almost 400 pages and is heavily illustrated, comes free with the videos). If you are interested in purchasing the workbook alone, without the videos, email us at [email protected]. The cost is $90 (free shipping).

  Again, we don’t recommend the workbook alone. Think of your favorite college class. Amber Book course is like that, and the workbook is like the textbook for your favorite college class.

Are the animated videos close-captioned?

• Yes.

But I only have two exams left. Why do I need to purchase access to all the videos?

• Each of the exam divisions, with the exception of Practice Management, requires access to all, or almost all, of the videos. Having fewer exams doesn’t mean that you’ll need access to less content. That is the nature of the extreme content overlap between divisions in ARE 5.0. See our Study Matrix.

  Of course if you have fewer exam divisions remaining, you may require access to the course for fewer months, so you may pay less with fewer exam divisions to study for. That said, PPD and PDD are the two most comprehensive exams in 5.0 so for these two especially you’ll want to review everything. In other words, all of the content covered in the course could show up on either exam.

  

Can I access the course when I am not connected to the internet?

• The course videos can only be streamed. As well, the flashcards and practice exams can only be accessed with an internet connection.

  Some supplemental materials are downloadable such as the panic notes and a PDF of the workbook.

How do I “pause” or cancel my account?

• You are able to cancel your active subscription and then re-enroll whenever you’re ready to resume. Amber Book is a monthly subscription and not offered for partial months.

  To make changes to your account, go to your Amber Book profile. You can access this at the top right corner of our website. Then go to the “Billing” tab to cancel your subscription.

  When you cancel your active subscription, you will always still have access to the course until the date your subscription would have renewed. Since you retain access to the course until the date of your next renewal, you could cancel any time and have access to the course until the date of your next renewal. We want you to maximize your study time, not worry about waiting until the last moment to cancel.

I used to have an Amber Book account. How do I reenroll?

• If you initially signed up with a coupon code, please email us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can reenroll anytime at checkout.

Can I purchase a portion of a month?

• No, this is a monthly subscription.

How long will I have access to the course after I cancel?

• Your access to the course will expire at 00:00 UTC on the date that your subscription would normally renew or on the date it will expire.

  For example, if you see that your subscription will renew/expire on November 1st, this means you would have access to the course up until 00:00 UTC November 1st.*

  *Given how UTC works- Universal Time Coordinated - in this example, renewal would occur or access would end on October 31st at 8pm ET.

When does subscription renew? When will I be charged?

• Your subscription will renew and/or you will be charged exactly the same date and time you started. If you enrolled at 5:38 PM on the 18th, that's exactly when your renewal will post each month.

Do you offer any discounts?

• We offer a Group Discount. If you get a group of six together (search on social media for others to join you to create a group), each of you will save $150 per month. You’ll each pay separately and have individual accounts.

  If you do not know anyone personally who is interested in signing up with you, we recommend checking the ARE forums. People often have luck finding people to group up with via that route. You can try the NCARB community forum or the ARE Facebook Group.

What do I do if I already have a group of 6 or more people who are ready to enroll?

• Send us the list of names and email address to [email protected] and we will take care of the rest!

  Group enrollees will receive a coupon code to register at the discounted price. Once you've put together your group of 6+, you will all be locked into the $240/month rate, even if someone stops or wants to pause access after a month and then sign up again later.

What if my group members and I want to pay separately and start at different times? Will I still get the discount if my group members finish before me?

• While it is true that each member of your group goes through the enrollment process separately, we do ask that everyone in your group enroll within two weeks of receiving your code.

  Your subscription will begin immediately once you have paid.

  Once you have enrolled, you and your group members can work through the course at your own individual paces without affecting other group members. Each individual member of the group can cancel at any time. If you decide to reenroll, we will always honor your discounted rate. Email us at [email protected] to request a re-enrollment code.

What about AIA chapters or special discounts?

• We offer special pricing for AIA chapters and other professional groups. Please have your AIA chapter or group leader email us at [email protected] for more information.

What’s the data?

• Enrollees who completed more than 75% of the course reported using Amber Book to pass their exams with an 80% pass rate compared to a 55% national average.

  The more of the course you complete, the higher likelihood of passing your exams!

  

How do I join your free weekly Amber Book : 40 Minutes of Competence Zoom meetups?

• 40 Minutes of Competence Zoom takes place at 6pm ET on Thursdays. Sign up for weekly invitations or join this week's session.

  You can join the study session live, for free, without a subscription.

  We posted the first forty Amber Book: 40 Minutes of Competence videos on our unlisted YouTube channel.

  Many of the subsequent sessions are placed in the Amber Book course at the relevant point in the content, so that the material comes to you at the appropriate place within the study sequence. They are often embedded as part of a practice exam item or flashcard and can be viewed with an Amber Book course enrollment.

Click here for our Firm’s page.

• Email: [email protected]

  Phone: (540) 203-4499

  You can reach out to us anytime for questions about firm licenses, enrollment of employees, trouble with course access, or general support. We’re here to help you get licensed!

Pass rates, what’s the data?

• Enrollees who completed more than 75% of the course reported using Amber Book to pass their exams with an 80% pass rate compared to a 55% national average.

  

The highest likelihood of passing in the least amount of time studying

• We operate by a yield model. . . the course prioritizes what you will find on the exam, what you don’t remember from school, what you haven’t seen at work, and what’s most efficient to learn.

What are the Firm obligations?

• None (other than storage of the Amber Book hardcopy workbooks at your office(s))

Why must enrollees schedule an exam before getting continued course access?

• Each emerging professional with the firm’s domain in their email address will enroll and be given one month’s access on any start date desired. After that first month, the enrollee may continue access to the course once they’ve scheduled at least one exam division. (We recommend scheduling all of your remaining divisions to fall four months after you start the course.) We are all deadline-oriented people in this profession, and we’ve found that time to licensure shrinks with this constraint in place.

  You can schedule your exams as far in advance as you'd like. If you choose not to schedule an exam yet, your service will simply be paused.

  Having a baby soon and can’t schedule an exam? Moving soon and too harried? Particularly busy at work this month and can’t schedule an exam? Reach out to us at [email protected]. . . we’ve never met an exception that we didn’t grant. We’ll give you more time to access the course before scheduling the exam if you need it. There is no limit to the number of people in the firm who can enroll and there is no limit to the number of employees who can be using the course material at the same time.

  We want you moving toward licensure and we’ve found this benevolently paternal policy to get you licensed more quickly.

What are the Amber Book Obligations?

• 1. We will work with you, beginning right now, to get as many candidates licensed in the shortest amount of time.

  2. We will provide the Amber Book online courseAmber Book online course for one month to ALL the firm’s emerging professionals. They will maintain their course access as long as they have submitted proof of a scheduled exam.

  3. We will provide hardcopies of the workbook to each location of the firm, as required. If you forget to tell us you are out of workbooks, that’s not a problem. We will mail a hard copy directly to the course enrollee and a new batch of hard copies for the office to store.

Does the firm license include everything the individual enrollment does?

• Yes.

  *The animated course

  *A hardcopy (and pdf) of our 375-page, well-illustrated workbook, The Amber Book: ARE 5.0 Edition

  *Case study examples

  *Digital flashcards

  *Amber Book practice exams for each division

  *All Walking the ARE practice exams (free for Amber Book enrollees)

  *Our “panic” notes to look over the night before the exams (and reassure yourself that you've got this)

  *Unlimited 20-minute one-on-one meetings with content creators including our course creator, Michael Ermann

How does the firm pay?

• The firm pays for one year up front, and we guarantee you’ll love the course; cancel ANYTIME and receive a FULL refund. So if you’re not thrilled, even after 11.75 months, we’ll refund the entire year’s tuition. No questions asked, no fine print.

Is it worth it? Ask course creator Michael Ermann

• I was the first person in the nation to pass all six ARE 5.0 divisions, and I’ve worked with thousands who are taking these tests, including intensive three-day courses at AIA New York, AIA Miami, AIA Dallas, AIA Houston, AIA Raleigh, AIA Northern Virginia, AIA New Orleans, AIA New Mexico, AIA Alaska, and AIA Washington DC (more than one thousand total have completed my in-person courses). I’ve partnered with AIA National to provide AIA members access to my online course; I’ve been a full-time Virginia Tech professor since 2001; and I know more about this test and how people study for it than probably anyone in the world. So even if you are not interested in purchasing a firm license, use me as a resource in crafting your firm’s approach to licensure and learning because I live this stuff. I can be reached at [email protected] and I’m happy to host a lunch-and-learn for the firm’s emerging professionals, even if you decide not to purchase a firm license.

Pricing table

Why are we paying for all of our employees when only some of them are studying for exams?

• The fact that only a portion of the firm is studying for their exams is built into the pricing table. This way, your price won’t increase if an employee who isn’t currently studying is prompted to pursue licensure because of their new-found access to the Amber Book. If next month you hire a new emerging professional who wants to use the course, your price will not change. It’s like when you visit a buffet: you aren’t paying for all of the food you could eat. . . you’re paying for all of the food you’re likely to eat.

What’s the math on that?

• For example, let’s say you have a 1-15 employee license and 4 enrollees:

  Four enrollees at our regular rate of $390 per month would be $18,720 per year. With a firm license it's $1,800 which comes out to $37.50 per person, per month. We also offer a 100% money-back guarantee on all our firm licenses.

  Licensure could happen in as little as four months!

How do I track our firm enrollees’ course engagement?

• Become the group analyst! The group analyst can view a firm’s users and their course progress. Request to become a group analyst for your firm by emailing [email protected].

My firm has an existing firm license with another ARE prep provider, and we are waiting until our current license expires to switch to Amber Book.

• DON’T WAIT!

  We’ll give your firm free Amber Book access until your other subscription runs out. Let’s say you have 9 months to go before your other license renews. Tell us so and sign up for an Amber Book annual subscription. We’ll get you your Amber Book access now, but your first “year’s” subscription will be 21 months long instead of 12. You’ll get the first 9 months free.

  As always, if you are not thrilled with the Amber Book, we’ll cheerfully return your year’s subscription, no questions asked and no fine print. No one else will do that.

What about AIA chapters or special discounts?

• We offer special pricing for AIA chapters and other professional groups. Please have your AIA chapter or group leader email us at [email protected] for more information.

I already have a firm license. Who’s my point of contact?

• You can reach the Firm’s Team anytime by email or phone.

  Tyler Willis

  [email protected]

  (540) 203-4499

How do employees sign up as part of a firm license?

• If your firm already has a license with us or you’re not sure, you can reach out and we’ll get back to you with your best option to enroll! If your firm has a license, your enrollment is free as long as your employment is based in a participating office.

  [email protected]

  (540) 203-4499

How do I order workbooks for my office(s)?

• If your firm already has a license with us, you can use this link to order workbooks. Workbooks must be ordered by the Firm’s admin, bookkeeper, or analyst.

Where do I upload exam proof?

• If you need to provide exam proof to extend your access to an Ab Firm License and aren't sure how, please send us an email with your exam proof attached to [email protected]

  If you've previously used a form to upload your exam proof and are looking for that link, you can use click here. If it doesn't work within 5 minutes, send us an email to [email protected]

What happens if I leave my firm?

• We’ll continue your access for one month and you’ll have the option to start an individual Amber Book subscription - without losing your progress!