BEST SIX SIGMA CERTIFICATION

Best Six Sigma Certification: Improve business process efficiency and effectiveness. Companies worldwide have adopted Six Sigma to improve production, effectiveness, and efficiency to boost profits and lower defects. The main steps in a Six Sigma Process are defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling (or DMAIC). 

The best certification providers offer quality education with flexible courses, and they have outstanding track records for customer service and helping students pass their certification exams. We reviewed 36 Six Sigma certification providers to determine the best options available. Read on for our top choices.

The Best Six Sigma Certifications

Best Overall: American Society for Quality

Pros

• Worldwide recognition for quality
• Provides a certification verification registry
• Focuses on subject mastery versus simply passing the exam

Cons

• You must take your proctored exam during specific testing windows
• Certifications need to be renewed at least every three years
• It doesn’tDoesn’t offer Lean Six Sigma certification

Why We Chose It

American Society for Quality (ASQ) is the best overall Six Sigma Certification provider because of its global reputation, rigorous exam prep, and training, focus on subject mastery and certification registry.

ASQ was founded in 1946 and has members in over 130 countries.1 Aside from Six Sigma, it offers certification and training in management, foundational quality, inspector/technician, engineering, and auditing. It’s the best overall Six Sigma certification provider because of its standards for quality, global recognition, and dedication to subject matter mastery. 

Training materials include a handbook, study guide, question bank, and certification prep. The certification prep is self-paced and online only for the Yellow Belt. However, both Green and Black Belt offer the certification prep self-paced online, in a classroom, and live virtual. The time it takes to study for the exam depends on how fast you get through the materials. However, expect it to take two to six weeks. 

You can choose from Six Sigma Yellow, Green, and Black Belts; each comes with costs and experience requirements.

• Yellow Belt has no experience requirement and starts at $424 for certification, $550 for e-learning, and $119 for a question bank.
• Green Belt requires three years of on-the-job industry-specific work experience and starts at $438 for certification, $824 for e-learning, $824 for live virtual learning, and $1,889 for face-to-face learning.
• Black Belt requires three years of work experience in a Quality Management role; prices start at $538 for certification, $1,250 for e-learning, $1,224 for live virtual learning, $119 for the question bank, and $2,349 for face-to-face learning; ASQ members receive discounts on exams and recertifications.

Best Value: International Six Sigma Institute

Pros

Pay as little as $49 for certification

100% money-back guarantee

It only requires an exam score of 60% to pass.

Cons

No experience requirements for certification

You don’t have to complete a project for any of the Belts.

Why We Chose It

International Six Sigma Institute (ISSI) offers affordable lifetime access to course materials and future updates.

ISSI has more than 600,000 clients in 143 countries.2 It offers affordable Six Sigma certifications costing as little as $49 for some Belts, and the courses come with a money-back guarantee. 

You can choose from the following Six Sigma certifications:

• Green Belt ($69)
• Black Belt ($99)
• Master Black Belt ($149)
• Champion ($149)
• Deployment Leader ($149)
• Yellow Belt ($49)
• Trainer ($199)
• Coach ($199)

After paying for the online program, you have one year to take your certification exam. After passing, there are no recertification requirements or fees. There are no project or affidavit requirements for any of the Belts, nor do you have to have work experience to test. 

Most people take one to four days to adequately prepare to pass the exam, while some can digest the material in just a few hours and pass.3 Each test has 50 questions and takes 60 minutes. A score of 60% is required to pass your exam. You get ten tries; if you don’t pass, the International Six Sigma Institute will give you your money back.

International Six Sigma Institute. “Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification (CSSYB).”

Best Self-Paced Program: Lean Six Sigma Institute

Pros

Up to six months to use the training material after starting the course

Offers self-paced training at a steep discount

Cons

No experience requirements for certification

Must be motivated to get through the self-study material

Why We Chose It

The Lean Six Sigma Institute (LSSI) gives students six months to complete the self-paced training.

LSSI has been a provider of Lean Six Sigma certifications since 1998.5 With this self-paced program; you get access to a community of Lean Six Sigma practitioners to lean on for support.

Training time varies, taking as little as 10 hours self-paced (or 15 hours instructor-led) for the Lean Champion Belt. For the most advanced training, Lean Master Black Belt, expect around 80 hours of self-paced study or 160 hours of instructor-led training.6 Self-paced training should take you approximately nine weeks to finish. 

LSSI offers these Belts at the following prices:

• Lean Yellow ($699 self-paced, $1,299 instructor-led)
• Lean Green ($999 self-paced, $2,399 instructor-led)
• Lean Black ($1,499 self-paced, $3,499 instructor-led)
• Lean Master Black ($1,999 self-paced, $4,599 instructor-led)
• Lean Champion ($399 self-paced, $899 instructor-led)

Course prices include three months of Minitab Workspace, video demonstrations, downloadable content, and your exam. You have two days from the date of purchase to get a refund if you aren’t satisfied with the course material, and two attempts to pass the exam are included in your course price.7 If you fail both times, you must re-purchase the course.  

To receive your certificate, you must receive 80% on your exam. Then, to receive Lean International Certification for any of the Belts, you must present a Lean Six Sigma project demonstrating Lean practices.

Best for Managers: Villanova University

Pros

Completely online

Exam fee included in tuition

Cons

Expensive

It only offers the Six Sigma Green Belt; the rest are Lean Six Sigma Belts.

No rolling start dates

Why We Chose It

Villanova University’s online courses offer simulated projects and advanced animations, preparing you for real-world applications.

Founded in 1842, Villanova University is a private institution known for offering one of the best business schools in the nation, which lends a certain credibility to its Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma certificates.8 Going back to the 1980s, when he started working with the Six Sigma methodology, Professor Marv Meissner focused on skills highly applicable to managers, like process mapping, potential problem analysis, decision analysis, and other problem-solving tools.

Villanova University. “Faculty Spotlight: Marv Meissner.”

Each class requires a different time commitment. For instance, the Six Sigma Green Belt course takes eight weeks, whereas the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt takes 16 weeks.1011 The other courses take eight weeks. 

You must have the previous tier’s certificate to take the advanced Belt courses. For example, to take the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course, you must have a Six Sigma Green Belt. With University approval, your Belt from other institutions may count towards this requirement. 

Lean Six Sigma courses and prices are as follows:

• Lean Six Sigma ($2,295)
• Six Sigma Green Belt ($2,495)
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt ($4,095)
• Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt ($3,495)

Note that your exam fee is included in the course price. 

Active-duty service members, Guardsmen and Reservists, veterans, spouses, and their dependents can receive 15% savings on each course.12 Your employer may reimburse the purchase of your course.

Course materials include live online weekly classes, videos, online learning tools, and simulated projects. After completing the course and the required class project, you’ll receive a certificate and can sit for the certification exam provided by Villanova.

Best Lean Program: GreyCampus

Pros

Full-length practice exams

Gamified learning modules

Cons

Must recertify within three years

Some courses only provide access to content for six months.

Lean Six Sigma certifications through GreyCampus need prerequisites or work experience requirements.

Why We Chose It

GreyCampus is an IASSC-accredited training provider; most students pass their certification exams thanks to its comprehensive coursework and supplemental boot camps.

GreyCampus is a Six Sigma training provider with students from over 40 countries and over 1,000 organizations.13 In addition to its Six Sigma certifications, it also offers Professional Development Units toward project management credentials. You can take simulated exams and receive exam analytics to see exactly what you need to work on to pass your Lean Six Sigma exam.

Certification courses and prices include:

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training and Certification Program ($270, $1,119 with Bootcamp)
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Training and Certification Program ($360, $1,300 with Bootcamp)
• Lean Six Sigma Green & Black Training and Certification Program ($590)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program (exam only $195)
• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Program (exam only $95)
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Program (exam only $245)
• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training Course ($150)
• Six Sigma Green Belt ($17)

Aside from Bootcamps, which consist of live four-day online classes, your coursework is self-paced. The Bootcamps come with instructor mentorship, access to learning platforms, and 24/7 support.

There are no prerequisites for the Lean Six Sigma courses, and the exams are proctored but taken from home through a website.

How Do I Get My Six Sigma Certification?

You must enroll in a certification course and pass an exam to get your Six Sigma certification. Sometimes, employers offer certification directly through their organization. Otherwise, you can enroll in a course by universities, colleges, or certification companies.

While taking your course, you will learn about Six Sigma and how to apply it in the real world. Most courses also require a Six Sigma project to demonstrate proficiency before you take your certification exam. 

After passing your exam, you’ll earn a Belt designation. These operate like karate belts, as you must pass the first Belt to advance to the next one. Most companies offer a Yellow, Green, Black, and Master Black Belt.