I read on a forum that the real ARE exam has ‘pre-test questions’ which do not count to the actual score. Is this correct? If so, do the Black Spectacles practice exams follow that similar format?
Thanks
Hi @gganesh, thanks for your question!
Black Spectacles practice exams do not include pretest items. The scores you see are simply based on the total number of items for that form.
More information about pretest items can be found in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines and this NCARB article.
Try not to focus too much on these pretest items, as there is no way for you to determine which are pretest items and which items will count towards your exam score. Treat each question as if it is scored. If you encounter a really difficult one that you have no idea how to answer, don’t spend too much time on it - provide an educated guess, flag it for later review, and move on (as it may potentially be one of those pretest items).
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles