Which Certification is Right for You- Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma

30-Apr-2020

Looking for a rewarding career in Quality management then Six sigma and Lean six sigma certifications are your best bet. Although candidates find it daunting to decide between which certification to choose as far as Six Sigma and Lean Sigma certifications are concerned. And what makes it more convoluted is the fact that both the certifications follow two different trails in order to master the quality management processes.

Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma has three levels of certifications starting from Green belt level and moving towards Black belt and master black belt levels.

In order to get a clear perspective, this paper will provide a piece of information regarding the point of differences between the two certifications based on eligibility, examinations and the responsibilities related to the Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma certifications.

To begin, let's start with the Six Sigma certifications and the first level in the Six Sigma certification is the Certified Six sigma green belt certification (CSSGB).

CERTIFIED SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT CERTIFICATION (CSSGB):

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

In order to become eligible to take up the Six sigma green belt certification, candidates must have at least three years of full-time paid work experience in any of the areas listed in the certified Six sigma green belt body of knowledge (BOK).

These guidelines are issued by the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

PATTERN OF THE EXAMINATION:

The ASQ (American society for quality) conducts the paper-based testing (PBT) of the examination in the written form. The examination consists of multiple-choice based questions. A candidate needs to answer a total of 100 questions and the total time duration allocated for completing the examination is four hours.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AFTER COMPLETING THE CERTIFICATION:

A certified Six Sigma green belt professional provides assistance with the collection and analysis of data in the Black belt projects. Along with this he/she also takes up the leadership roles in the Green belt projects.

RECERTIFICATION REQUIRED: No because it comes with lifetime validity.

CERTIFIED SIX SIGMA BLACK BELT CERTIFICATION (CSSBB)

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

As per the guidelines issued by the American Society for Quality (ASQ), a professional need not be a certified Six sigma green belt in order to take the certified Six Sigma black belt certification. On the contrary, a candidate must complete and submit the following:

Two complete projects along with duly signed affidavits.

Or else one completed project validated by an affidavit along with a minimum of three years of work experience in the areas related to the Six Sigma black belt body of knowledge.

PATTERN OF THE EXAMINATION:

American society for quality (ASQ) quantifies your understanding of the book of knowledge by conducting a four-hour long examination consisting of 150 multiple choice based questions. Apart from this, the examination is in the PBT (paper-based testing) format.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AFTER COMPLETING THE CERTIFICATION:

• Educating and coaching project teams in the quality management domain.
• Leadership in the various problem-solving projects.

RECERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Yes, recertification is required in the case of certified Six Sigma black belt certification owing to the fact that this certification remains valid until 3 years from the date of certification. In order to renew your six sigma black belt certification, you need to do one of the following:

• Renew your certification by retaking the six sigma black belt examination.
• Or else you can submit 18 RU credits.

SIX SIGMA MASTER BLACK BELT CERTIFICATION (MBB)

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

If you are aiming for the master six sigma black belt certification then you need to ensure the following prerequisites:

A six sigma black belt certification (CSSBB) duly accredited by American Society for Quality (ASQ).

Submission of 10 projects complying with the standards of the Six Sigma black belt certification or else a minimum of five years of experience working in the six sigma black belt or master black belt domain.

PATTERN OF THE EXAMINATION:

The six sigma master black belt certification examination is a five-hour-long examination under the paper-based testing format. The examination is divided into two categories. Firstly, a candidate needs to attempt 100 multiple choice based questions in order to evaluate their understanding. Secondly, they need to go through a performance-based assessment.

NOTE: your portfolio must be approved by the panel in order to take the six sigma master black belt certification examination.

Moving further let’s take a look at some Lean Six sigma certifications in order to draw a line of difference between the two. But first, let’s understand what exactly is lean six sigma?

Lean six sigma is an improvement and problem-solving approach. Under lean six sigma, several lean tools are utilized to minimize the production of waste in an organization. This lean collective tool kit works wonders with the Six Sigma DMAIC phases.

Now let us begin with the first level of certification that is lean six sigma green belt certification.

LEAN SIX SIGMA GREEN BELT CERTIFICATION (LSSGB)

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

There are no mandatory prerequisites formulated by the IASSC that are needed in order to sit for the Lean six sigma green belt certification examination. Anyone interested to gain knowledge in the field of quality management can take this course.

PATTERN OF THE EXAMINATION:

The examination consists of 100 multiple choice based questions along with some true or false questions. The total time duration given to the candidates in order to complete the examination is 3 hours.in order to pass the lean six sigma green belt certification examination a candidate needs to secure a minimum of 385 points out of a total of 500 points.

LEAN SIX SIGMA BLACK BELT CERTIFICATION (LSSBB)

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

The IASSC does not provide any strict guidelines regarding the prerequisites required in order to sit for the lean six sigma black belt certification examination.

PATTERN OF THE EXAMINATION:

The total time given to pass the lean six sigma black belt certification examination is 4 hours. A candidate needs to attempt the paper that consists of a mix of 150 multiple choice based questions and true or false questions. There are a total of 750 points for the grab and a candidate is supposed to secure a minimum of 580 points in order to successfully qualify the lean six sigma black belt certification examination.

MASTER SIX SIGMA BLACK BELT (MSSBB)

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Any interested candidate needs to submit his/her portfolio in order to get evaluated by the panel. Once the evaluation is done and you are approached by the panel then only you are eligible to give the master six sigma black belt certification examination.

PATTERN OF THE EXAMINATION:

The master six sigma black belt certification examination consists of 100 multiple choice based questions. Along with this, there are a few essay-type questions. The candidate needs to complete the examination in five hours.

So there are two different governing bodies providing accreditation for lean six sigma certifications and six sigma certifications. Whenever choosing your training partner, accreditation bodies must be kept in mind to get the desired outcomes and results.

American Society for Quality (ASQ) offers the accreditation for Six sigma certification whereas International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) offers accreditation for Lean Six Sigma certifications.

I hope this will assist you in selecting the right Six Sigma certification for you.

Education Professional