📋 Examination & Assessment Policy
1. Overview
Quality Progress BD is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and rigor in all Lean Six Sigma certifications. Our examinations align with the Council for Six Sigma Certification (CSSC) Body of Knowledge and incorporate robust security measures to protect the value of your credential.
2. Examination Structure by Belt Level
| Belt Level | Total Questions | Duration | Passing Score | Question Format | Attempts Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Belt | 25 | 45 minutes | 70% (18/25) | Multiple Choice | 3 attempts |
| Yellow Belt | 50 | 90 minutes | 70% (35/50) | Multiple Choice | 3 attempts |
| Green Belt | 100 | 180 minutes | 70% (70/100) | Multiple Choice + Scenario | 3 attempts |
| Black Belt | 150 | 240 minutes | 70% (105/150) | Multiple Choice + Case Studies | 3 attempts |
3. Examination Content Distribution
3.1 White Belt Examination (25 Questions)
- Introduction to Six Sigma: 6 questions (24%)
- DMAIC Methodology Overview: 6 questions (24%)
- Lean Principles & Waste: 7 questions (28%)
- White Belt Role: 6 questions (24%)
3.2 Yellow Belt Examination (50 Questions)
- Six Sigma Fundamentals: 8 questions (16%)
- Lean & Waste Elimination: 8 questions (16%)
- Define Phase: 6 questions (12%)
- Measure Phase: 7 questions (14%)
- Analyze Phase: 7 questions (14%)
- Improve Phase: 7 questions (14%)
- Control Phase: 7 questions (14%)
3.3 Green Belt Examination (100 Questions)
- Enterprise-Wide Deployment: 8 questions (8%)
- Lean Concepts: 10 questions (10%)
- Define Phase: 10 questions (10%)
- Measure Phase & Statistics: 18 questions (18%)
- Analyze Phase & Hypothesis Testing: 18 questions (18%)
- Improve Phase & DOE Basics: 16 questions (16%)
- Control Phase & SPC: 14 questions (14%)
- Project Management: 6 questions (6%)
3.4 Black Belt Examination (150 Questions)
- Enterprise Deployment & Leadership: 15 questions (10%)
- Advanced Statistics: 20 questions (13.3%)
- Advanced Hypothesis Testing: 18 questions (12%)
- Regression & Multivariate Analysis: 15 questions (10%)
- Design of Experiments: 20 questions (13.3%)
- Advanced SPC: 12 questions (8%)
- DFSS & TRIZ: 10 questions (6.7%)
- Lean Enterprise: 12 questions (8%)
- Financial Analysis & Project Management: 15 questions (10%)
- Training & Coaching: 13 questions (8.7%)
4. Examination Security
To ensure fairness and the integrity of every certification, Quality Progress BD 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).
- 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
- White Belt: 45 minutes
- Yellow Belt: 90 minutes
- Green Belt: 180 minutes (3 hours)
- Black Belt: 240 minutes (4 hours)
- Timer visible throughout; auto-submit when time expires.
✅ Passing Score
- Uniform 70% minimum across all belts.
- White Belt: 18/25 | Yellow Belt: 35/50
- Green Belt: 70/100 | Black Belt: 105/150
- No partial credit for incomplete answers.
🔄 Retake Policy
- Maximum 3 attempts per enrollment.
- Mandatory 14-day cooling-off period between attempts.
- After a failed attempt, a personalized study guide is provided.
- A different exam form is issued for each retake.
🎲 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 (Green & Black Belt).
- Live proctor review of ID and testing environment.
- ID must match registered candidate name exactly.
🔒 Proctoring & Monitoring: All Green Belt and Black Belt examinations are remotely proctored using AI-assisted live monitoring. Behaviors such as looking away from screen repeatedly, talking, or presence of another person will flag the session for review and may result in immediate termination and forfeiture of the attempt.
5. Project Requirements
5.1 Yellow Belt
Completion of 4 mini-projects (guided exercises applying DMAIC to realistic scenarios). No workplace project required.
5.2 Green Belt
Completion of 2 projects:
• Project 1: Guided case study with provided data
• Project 2: Real workplace process improvement project OR detailed case scenario
Projects must demonstrate application of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control phases with documented results.
5.3 Black Belt (MANDATORY)
One major project is REQUIRED for Black Belt certification. The project must:
- Demonstrate full DMAIC or DFSS methodology application
- Show measurable business results (financial or operational)
- Be completed within 6 months of course enrollment
- Be documented in a formal project report (minimum 20 pages)
- Be presented and defended before a certification panel
- Include stakeholder sign-off confirming results
If a workplace project is unavailable, Quality Progress BD provides supervised case scenarios with real datasets requiring comprehensive analysis and solution development.
6. Pass/Fail Criteria
- Pass: Score ≥ 70% on written examination AND complete all project requirements
- Fail: Score below 70% on written examination OR incomplete project requirements
- Candidates who fail may retake the examination after a 14-day waiting period (as per security retake policy)
- Project resubmission is allowed with mentor feedback incorporation
7. Examination Delivery & Technical Requirements
- Delivered exclusively through our secure online platform (latest browser required).
- Stable internet connection, functional webcam, and microphone mandatory.
- Identity verification (photo ID + facial match) must be completed 15 minutes prior to scheduled start.
- Immediate score reporting upon completion with topic-wise breakdown.
- All sessions are recorded for audit and quality assurance.
⚖️ Policy Alignment: This examination policy, including all security provisions, is aligned with CSSC accreditation standards and is reviewed semi-annually. Violation of any security rule leads to permanent disqualification and reporting to the accreditation body.
Quality Progress BD – Examination & Assessment Policy v2.1