Six Sigma Certification

Six Sigma certification can be confusing to people, so let’s try and simplify it here.

If you are familiar with the martial arts belt system, then you will better understand the belt levels in Six Sigma

Here are the different levels:

• White Belt (WB) – General overview of Six Sigma, usually a 1-day class. Learn about Six Sigma concepts, the DMAIC model, and how to define an improvement project. Ideal for leadership or those wanting to learn the basics of Six Sigma (to see if they want to learn more).
• Yellow Belt (YB) – Teaches Six Sigma tools that require limited data analysis, such as process mapping, FMEA, brainstorming, and identification of variables. Usually a 2-3 day class, which should also include White Belt content. Ideal for those looking to be team members in a Six Sigma project, but not run or manage the project.
• Green Belt (GB) – The most common and useful certification, that teaches you the core Six Sigma tools beyond Yellow Belt, such as control charts, capability analysis, Gage R&R, hypothesis testing, and other statistical tools. Usually a 4-10 day course, depending on the curriculum. Ideal for those wanting to be a part-time or full-time process improvement expert, and run their own Six Sigma projects.
  • For help obtaining your Green Belt certification, check out our awesome support section >>>
• Black Belt (BB) – Going beyond Green Belt requires a Black Belt certification, in order to prove their expertise. They must be able to teach Six Sigma classes, mentor Green Belts, and prove they have successfully managed multiple projects on their own. The training is much heavier on statistical analysis and tools, preparing you for the many different scenarios you might encounter. Usually a 4-week course, which is ideal for those wanting to become full-time improvement experts.
• Master Black Belt (MBB) – This is the highest certification level, which may require a few more weeks of training, or may require years and years of experience teaching classes and mentoring large complex projects across many departments. In addition, Master Black Belts will need to be able to work with top leadership in an organization to develop a strategy to implement improvements across the company.

You can find courses for these belt levels in a city near you through 6sigma.us >>>

Not located in the US, or looking for more affordable options? Check out OpEx Learning’s Six Sigma online courses and certifications >>>

Certifications have become very popular for a variety of reasons:

1. Can provide a boost to paycheck, as certification can increase your salary by thousands of dollars a year
2. Can open up opportunities for a fun and exciting job in process improvement
3. Can help give you the skills to solve most problems that are assigned to you, which improves your job performance
4. Can give you confidence that your improvement ideas will actually work in the long term

Can I get a free Six Sigma certification?

• You can find some free Six Sigma training, but getting certified beyond a white or yellow belt requires some cost. Someone has to recover the costs of developing an exam and maintaining it. Others require resources to review and certify projects, so I don’t think anyone will offer that in the future. We do offer a specific certification program for free called “Earth Belt” but that is not equivalent to any traditional Lean or Six Sigma certification, and must be applied to environmental problems.

Will someone help me with a certification?

• Some certification programs offer coaching and mentoring on your real-life project. Check out this video to learn more about the coaching process.

To get started, book a 15 minute coaching call for free, so we can go through the Certification Discovery Call together and decide what option(s) are best for you.