International Quality Federation (IQF) USA offers third party certifications in the following three categories: DMAIC, Lean Six Sigma and DFSS. In each of these categories three levels of certifications are available: Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt.
The IQF certification exam is not like the traditional certification exams. Instead, it is a rigorous, computer-based exam for testing your ability to use modern methods to improve business operations. The exam consists of 2 parts:
- Fundamentals - short questions & problems designed to test the basic understanding of Six Sigma tools & concepts.
- Applications - detailed problems designed to test Six Sigma problem solving ability.
Each of these parts must be completed in 4 hours. The exam is open book, and any computer software can be used for the data analysis.
Exam
The IQF Six Sigma Exam is software-based, which offers two advantages: the exam can be taken at your leisure (rather than at pre-determined times and locations), and it encourages the use of analytical softwares in developing your response. In this way, the testing is a bit more realistic than conventional multiple choice exams.
Exam Format
The Fundamentals section consists of the following types of questions.
Question Type |
Number of Questions |
DMAIC |
Lean |
DFSS |
Six Sigma Process |
10 |
10 |
12 |
Discrete Distributions |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Continuous Distributions |
3 |
2 |
Statistical Inference |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Measurement Assurance |
3 |
3 |
2 |
Process Capability |
3 |
2 |
2 |
Regression |
3 |
2 |
2 |
SPC |
3 |
5 |
2 |
One-Way ANOVA |
2 |
5 |
Multi-Factor ANOVA |
2 |
Reliability |
NA |
NA |
Inventory Theory |
4 |
NA |
Lean Metrics |
3 |
Total |
35 |
35 |
30 |
The questions in the Applications section vary in the level of difficulty, the questions are weighted when the exam in scored. The Applications section consists of the following types of questions.
Question Type |
DMAIC |
Lean |
DFSS |
N |
W |
N |
W |
N |
W |
Experimental Design |
1 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
|
Project Value |
3 |
5/3 |
3 |
5/3 |
|
Project Management |
1 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
|
Defects per Million Opportunities |
4 |
5/4 |
NA |
|
Value Stream Mapping |
NA |
4 |
5/4 |
|
Target Optimization |
|
1 |
10 |
Design Robustness |
|
1 |
10 |
Statistical Tolerancing |
|
1 |
10 |
Screening Designs (DOE) |
|
1 |
5 |
The following scores are required to meet the exam requirements for certification.
Certification Level |
Required
Fundamentals
Section Score |
Required
Applications
Section Score |
Green Belt |
50% |
0% |
Black Belt |
6% |
50% |
Master Black Belt |
75% |
75% |
In addition to attending a formal training, exam additional requirement are as follows:
Certification Level |
Project Requirement |
Teaching& Mentoring Requirement |
Green Belt |
Optional |
None |
Black Belt |
2 Projects |
None |
Master Black Belt |
2 Projects |
2 years of teaching, mentoring 8 projects and 80 hours of teaching. |
Doing a project is not a requirement for Green Belts, however, it is a good idea to do one project at the end of the course.
|