📋 Examination & Assessment Policy
1. Overview
Quality Progress Certification Board is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and rigor in all Certified Lean Six Sigma Practitioner (CLSSP) certifications. Our examinations align with the Body of Knowledge standards of ASQ, IASSC, and CSSC, and incorporate robust security measures to protect the value of your credential.
All certifications — CLSSYP, CLSSGBP, CLSSBBP, and CLSSMBBP — are exam-only. Quality Progress does not provide specific study materials or mandatory training. Candidates are expected to prepare through self-study, work experience, or prior learning.
2. Examination Structure by Practitioner Level
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| Certification | Designation | Total Questions | Duration | Passing Score | Question Format | Attempts Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Belt Practitioner | CLSSYP | 60 | 2 Hours (120 min) | 70% (42/60) | Multiple Choice | Unlimited |
| Green Belt Practitioner | CLSSGBP | 100 | 2 Hours (120 min) | 70% (70/100) | Multiple Choice + Scenario | Unlimited |
| Black Belt Practitioner | CLSSBBP | 150 | 3 Hours (180 min) | 75% (113/150) | Multiple Choice + Case Studies | Unlimited |
| Master Black Belt Practitioner | CLSSMBBP | 200 | 4 Hours (240 min) | 80% (160/200) | Multiple Choice + Case Analysis | Unlimited |
3. Examination Content Distribution
3.1 Yellow Belt Practitioner (CLSSYP) — 60 Questions | 8 Knowledge Areas
- Six Sigma Fundamentals & Yellow Belt Role: 7 questions (~12%)
- Lean Fundamentals & Waste Elimination: 9 questions (~15%)
- Define Phase — Project Identification: 7 questions (~12%)
- Measure Phase — Data & Process Mapping: 9 questions (~15%)
- Analyze Phase — Root Cause Analysis: 9 questions (~15%)
- Improve Phase — Solution Development: 7 questions (~12%)
- Control Phase — Sustaining Improvements: 7 questions (~12%)
- Yellow Belt Project Essentials: 5 questions (~7%)
3.2 Green Belt Practitioner (CLSSGBP) — 100 Questions | 14 Knowledge Areas
- Six Sigma Fundamentals: 7 questions (~7%)
- Lean Principles & Tools: 7 questions (~7%)
- Define Phase: 8 questions (~8%)
- Measure — Basic Statistics: 8 questions (~8%)
- Measure — MSA & Process Capability: 8 questions (~8%)
- Analyze — Hypothesis Testing: 10 questions (~10%)
- Analyze — Root Cause & FMEA: 7 questions (~7%)
- Improve — DOE Introduction: 7 questions (~7%)
- Improve — Advanced Lean Tools: 7 questions (~7%)
- Control — SPC: 10 questions (~10%)
- Control — Sustainment: 7 questions (~7%)
- Project Management: 5 questions (~5%)
- Statistical Software: 4 questions (~4%)
- Green Belt Project: 5 questions (~5%)
3.3 Black Belt Practitioner (CLSSBBP) — 150 Questions | 14 Knowledge Domains
- Enterprise-Wide Six Sigma Deployment: 12 questions (8%)
- Organizational Process Management: 9 questions (6%)
- Advanced Team Management: 6 questions (4%)
- Advanced Define Phase: 9 questions (6%)
- Advanced Probability & Statistics: 15 questions (10%)
- Advanced Hypothesis Testing: 15 questions (10%)
- Advanced Regression Analysis: 12 questions (8%)
- Design of Experiments (DOE): 15 questions (10%)
- Advanced Improve Phase: 9 questions (6%)
- Lean Enterprise Transformation: 9 questions (6%)
- Advanced SPC & Control Phase: 12 questions (8%)
- Design for Six Sigma (DFSS): 12 questions (8%)
- Financial Analysis & Project Management: 8 questions (5%)
- Training, Coaching & Leadership: 7 questions (5%)
3.4 Master Black Belt Practitioner (CLSSMBBP) — 200 Questions | 16 Knowledge Domains
- Enterprise Six Sigma Strategy & Governance: 16 questions (8%)
- Advanced Leadership & Organizational Change: 16 questions (8%)
- Program & Portfolio Management: 12 questions (6%)
- Advanced Financial Analysis for LSS: 12 questions (6%)
- Advanced DOE — RSM, Taguchi & Robust Design: 16 questions (8%)
- Multivariate Analysis & Advanced Regression: 16 questions (8%)
- Advanced SPC & Process Control Systems: 12 questions (6%)
- Design for Six Sigma — Advanced Applications: 16 questions (8%)
- Lean Enterprise & Digital Transformation: 12 questions (6%)
- Innovation & TRIZ Advanced Methods: 10 questions (5%)
- Advanced MSA & Measurement Uncertainty: 10 questions (5%)
- Reliability Engineering & Life Data Analysis: 10 questions (5%)
- Coaching & Curriculum Development: 12 questions (6%)
- Consulting & Client Engagement: 10 questions (5%)
- Ethics, Governance & Professional Practice: 10 questions (5%)
- Capstone: Enterprise Deployment Case Study: 10 questions (5%)
4. Examination Security
To ensure fairness and the integrity of every CLSSP certification, Quality Progress Certification Board enforces strict security protocols. All candidates must acknowledge and adhere to the following policies.
🔒 Examination Rules
- Closed-book environment; no external resources unless explicitly permitted (e.g., standard calculator for Green Belt and above).
- No mobile phones, smartwatches, or secondary screens.
- Candidate must remain alone in a quiet, well-lit room.
- Communication with others is strictly prohibited.
- Browser lockdown prevents navigation away from the test.
⏰ Time Limits
- CLSSYP: 2 Hours (120 minutes)
- CLSSGBP: 2 Hours (120 minutes)
- CLSSBBP: 3 Hours (180 minutes)
- CLSSMBBP: 4 Hours (240 minutes)
- Timer visible throughout; auto-submit when time expires.
🎯 Passing Score
- CLSSYP: 70% (42/60)
- CLSSGBP: 70% (70/100)
- CLSSBBP: 75% (113/150)
- CLSSMBBP: 80% (160/200)
- No partial credit for incomplete answers.
🔄 Retake Policy
- ALL levels: UNLIMITED FREE retakes within 6 months.
- Mandatory 14-day cooling-off period between attempts for all levels.
- After a failed attempt, topic-wise feedback is provided.
- A different exam form is issued for each retake.
- No additional fee for any retake attempt.
🔀 Question Randomization
- Questions drawn from a large, secure item bank.
- Random ordering of questions and answer choices per candidate.
- No two exams are identical, minimizing predictability.
- Ensures equitable difficulty across multiple forms.
👤 Identity Verification
- Government-issued photo ID upload required before exam start.
- Facial recognition scan via webcam (CLSSGBP, CLSSBBP, CLSSMBBP).
- Live proctor review of ID and testing environment.
- ID must match registered candidate name exactly.
5. Project & Portfolio Requirements
5.1 Yellow Belt Practitioner (CLSSYP)
No project required. CLSSYP is knowledge-based only. Pass the 60-question exam to earn your credential.
5.2 Green Belt Practitioner (CLSSGBP)
1 DMAIC project is required for the full CLSSGBP credential. Without the project, candidates receive a Certificate of Achievement (exam pass only), not the full Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Practitioner designation.
- Project report: 15–25 pages documenting all 5 DMAIC phases
- At least 5 statistical/analytical tools demonstrated
- Measurable improvement (cost, quality, time, or customer satisfaction)
- Workplace project with manager sign-off, OR approved case scenario with provided datasets
- Review time: 5–7 business days
5.3 Black Belt Practitioner (CLSSBBP) — MANDATORY
Two major projects are REQUIRED for CLSSBBP certification. The projects must:
- Demonstrate full DMAIC or DFSS methodology application
- Show measurable business results (financial or operational)
- Be documented in formal project reports
- Include stakeholder sign-off confirming results
- Be reviewed by a panel of certified Master Black Belts
Project 1: A complete DMAIC or DFSS project with full documentation.
Project 2: A second DMAIC/DFSS project, OR an enterprise deployment project, OR a coaching/mentoring project.
If workplace projects are unavailable, Quality Progress Certification Board provides supervised case scenarios with real datasets requiring comprehensive analysis.
5.4 Master Black Belt Practitioner (CLSSMBBP) — MANDATORY
Portfolio submission + Panel Defense are REQUIRED for CLSSMBBP certification:
- 3 Major Projects: Completed DMAIC/DFSS projects with $100K+ cumulative documented financial impact
- Coaching Portfolio: Documented mentoring of 2+ Green Belts or 1 Black Belt through certification, with minimum 40 hours of training delivery
- Deployment Artifact: Six Sigma program design document, enterprise deployment roadmap, or published case study
- Panel Defense: 60-minute live video defense with 2 certified Master Black Belts
- Portfolio review time: 10–15 business days
6. Pass/Fail Criteria
- CLSSYP: Score ≥ 70% on written examination (no project required)
- CLSSGBP: Score ≥ 70% on written examination AND submit 1 approved DMAIC project
- CLSSBBP: Score ≥ 75% on written examination AND submit 2 approved projects
- CLSSMBBP: Score ≥ 80% on written examination AND approved portfolio AND pass panel defense
- Candidates who fail the exam may retake after a 14-day waiting period
- Project resubmission is allowed with detailed feedback incorporation
7. Examination Delivery & Technical Requirements
- Delivered exclusively through our secure online platform (latest Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browser required).
- Stable internet connection (minimum 2 Mbps), functional webcam, and microphone mandatory for all levels.
- Identity verification (photo ID + facial match) must be completed 15 minutes prior to scheduled start for CLSSGBP, CLSSBBP, and CLSSMBBP.
- Immediate score reporting upon completion with knowledge-area-wise breakdown.
- All sessions are recorded for audit and quality assurance.
- CLSSMBBP uses dual proctoring: Live human proctor + AI monitoring simultaneously.
8. Exam Retake Policy
All CLSSP certifications now include UNLIMITED FREE retakes within the 6-month enrollment period. There is no additional fee for any retake attempt at any level. A mandatory 14-day cooling-off period applies between attempts to ensure adequate preparation time.
| Certification | Designation | Max Attempts | Waiting Period | First Retake Fee | Second Retake Fee | Third Retake Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Belt Practitioner | CLSSYP | Unlimited | 14 days | $0 FREE | $0 FREE | $0 FREE |
| Green Belt Practitioner | CLSSGBP | Unlimited | 14 days | $0 FREE | $0 FREE | $0 FREE |
| Black Belt Practitioner | CLSSBBP | Unlimited | 14 days | $0 FREE | $0 FREE | $0 FREE |
| Master Black Belt Practitioner | CLSSMBBP | Unlimited | 14 days | $0 FREE | $0 FREE | $0 FREE |
Summary: All certification levels — CLSSYP, CLSSGBP, CLSSBBP, and CLSSMBBP — now offer UNLIMITED FREE retakes ($0) within the 6-month enrollment period. A mandatory 14-day cooling-off period applies between attempts. No retake fees are charged for any level. This policy ensures every candidate has ample opportunity to succeed without financial burden.
Quality Progress Certification Board — Examination & Assessment Policy v3.0 (CLSSP Practitioner Certification)