Six Sigma Certification Requirements

There is no singular governing body for Six Sigma, so each certification body you encounter will have a different policy on the requirements to receive a Six Sigma certification. For MSI certification, the following definition applies.

The passing of a timed skill assessment exam to determine competency of a specific subject. Certification knowledge level for exams is demonstrated to the Bloom’s Taxonomy level of Apply, unless otherwise noted in the Six Sigma Body of Knowledge requirement for specific skills regarding that credential. Upon passing of the MSI exam, the credential is issued as a certification for a period of 3-years.

Renewal of your Six Sigma certification through the Management and Strategy Institute is free. You can register for free renewal here. MSI also offers a low-cost paid renewal option for those who would like updated paperwork. You can register for the paid option here. If the credential is not renewed, the certification becomes a lifetime certificate. At that point, the credential holder may no longer use the associated post-nominals after their name. Certifications can be renewed at any time after they have expired by completing the required renewal packet. The Management and Strategy Institute does not require an external project for certification. The Six Sigma Black Belt and Six Sigma Green Belt certifications include a project simulation (GBsim™ or BBsim™) that you will go through before accessing the certification exam.

To help further your understanding of belt levels and their requirements, we’ve broken down each belt level below.

Six Sigma Certification Requirement by Belt Level:

The Management and Strategy Institute offers all certification levels, from White Belt through Master Black Belt. MSI also offers specialty industry-specific certifications as well as 5S, TPM, TQM, and Continuous Improvement. Below is a breakdown of the recommendations for each level:

Six Sigma White Belt Certification

No requirements.
Recommended for anyone interested in Six Sigma.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification

No requirements.
Recommended for anyone interested in Six Sigma.
Primarily designed for someone who will be working on a Six Sigma project part time.

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification

No requirements.
Recommended for professionals who need a strong understanding of Six Sigma but won’t be leading projects.
Project Management experience helpful but not required.
Primarily designed for someone who will be working on a Six Sigma project part time, but may also contribute on a full time basis.

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification

Prior leadership experience strongly recommended.
Recommended for professionals who will be leading a process improvement project within their organization. Also recommended for quality assurance managers and professionals at the director level or above within a large organization.
Project Management experience strong recommended. Should also consider holding a project management certification and leadership certification.
Designed for someone who will be working on a Six Sigma project full time.

Six Sigma Master Black Belt Certification

Prior leadership experience strongly recommended.
Prior project management experience strongly recommended.
Prior six sigma project experience strongly recommended.
Prior corporate training experience strongly recommended.
Recommended for professionals who will be leading multiple process improvement projects within their organization. Also recommended for quality assurance managers and professionals at the director level or above within a large organization.
Should also consider holding a project management certification and leadership certification and trainer certification.
Six Sigma Master Black Belts work on projects full time and provide training when no project is active.
Note, all Master Black Belts should have Lean training in addition to Six Sigma.