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Hi Thameem,
Acceptance requirements vary based on the certification body. Each one has slightly different credentialing, so you’d have to check with each one on what they require.
As for taking a class in-person, try contacting your local universities and see if they have something on offer. Also, you could check with your local ASQ branch or see if any IASSC’s approved vendors offer something locally.
Best, Ted.
Hi Abishek,
Thanks for joining and introducing yourself! A few answers here:
I can identify with you. I had started years ago with a green belt from a local university, eventually took
black belt training with Villanova and getting certified there because that’s where my employer had a
relationship.
Once in the industry it became apparent to me that ASQ was the gold standard, so I worked for and achieved
that black belt certification on my own time. Today I still see ASQ as the premier organization to be
certified by.
There are other reasons to go with other bodies – and you are correct; there are a lot of conversations on the
internet. One of my most frequently-visited pages walks through some of the various organization bodies /
certifications here: https://sixsigmastudyguide.com/what-are-the-most-recognized-six-sigma-certifications/
Similarly, I made a Choose Your Own Adventure as a resource for deciding which belt is appropriate based on
roles and desired career pathing here: https://sixsigmastudyguide.com/six-sigma-belt-road-map/
One way to sort through and compare each organization / certification against each other is to see what they
require – usually called a Body of Knowledge (BOK). Most of the bodies coalesce on 70% of the same material,
but I find rigor is what separates them.
Here are a few links to the most common BOKs that I’m asked about. This may help you compare them against each
other:
https://sixsigmastudyguide.com/villanova-six-sigma-blackbelt-study-guide/Only Master Black Belts are required to have a previous belt (in that case usually a black belt). So, yes, you can go directly to Green Belt and skip Yellow.
If there’s anything else I can help with, please let me know.
Lori, a quick note on this one. I don’t work through questions from other providers’ question banks, the Primer included; for a specific Primer answer, check with the Quality Council of Indiana. The concept, though: when a question gives you only the process spread, read it as the natural process width of 6 sigma, so sigma is the spread divided by 6. Cpk is then the distance from the mean to the nearest specification limit, divided by 3 sigma. With no subgroup size, the d2 table isn’t the intended path. My Process Capability (Cp and Cpk) article walks through worked examples.
Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for posting. I think you’re asking for a recommendation on which organization you should get certified by. There’s some debate on this. From my perspective, I tend to like the ASQ certification the best. This is because it requires certificants to pass a rigorous exam AND demonstrate having led successful projects.
I originally sat for the Villanova BB exam and passed that. Not an easy exam but not terribly difficult. My colleagues and others I knew in the industry favored the ASQ so I sat for that one as well. There is a longer discussion on which organization is the most recognized here.
I don’t think there is a hard or fast rule. In your case, perhaps the best measure would be which endorsement would your potential clients would favor? I’m very interested in what others would say here, too. Looking forward to seeing additional comments.
Off topic – I really enjoyed the book Six Sigma for Small Business. It’s a quick read that I recommend all practitioners check out. But it might be especially interesting for you.
Hi Ebakeev,
Yes, there is significant overlap between the IASSC and ASQ test questions. I believe the main difference is that ASQ requires you to have actually completed Six Sigma projects before you are allowed to take the exam and the IASSC is closed-book, while the ASQ allows you to bring reference materials, just not sample problems to the exam.
Thanks, Ted.
Sorry, Jeff. I fell out of touch with the bulletin boards for a while there after our second child was born. Will try to do better going forward.
I’ve fixed the retake issue. Please let me know if it’s not working on your side and I’ll update your profile manually.
The reasons for the incorrect summing is that I’ve put a lot of tags on each question. So there is not a 1-1 relationship. Thus, the overall score is correct. And since some questions play in 1 or more domains, they get multiple tags.
And, yes, some questions are tagged as Green Belt or GB in the Black Belt exam because that material is expected to be tested there, too.
A recent software update should have added a re-take option. If you don’t see it, let me know and I’ll manually reset your account so you can take it as many times as you want.
Hi all, I de-prioritized a paper format in favor of creating an on-line system that allows you to manage all of your studying on the website. I think it’s the best, easiest, quickest way to prepare for the Green Belt exam in the business. For more info, go here.
Bob, this should be resolved by a recent software update that I did. Please check it again and let me know. If it’s still not resolved, I will manually re-set your account to force it to take hold.
To sit for a Green Belt exam you register with the certifying body directly. ASQ, IASSC and others each have their own eligibility rules, fees and test centers, so pick the body first and check its site. If you are not sure which one fits, start here: https://sixsigmastudyguide.com/what-are-the-most-recognized-six-sigma-certifications/
Updated October 2026: this reply first held an answer meant for a different thread. It now answers the question asked here.
The answer in the description is correct. The automatic grading system was not. I’ve updated the question settings to display accurately now. Thank you for pointing this out!
John, The study group never really got momentum. I have a list of topics for the IASSC BB exam here. Also, the online exams I have created are helpful for all exam types.