General Questions
Yes. ALSSP was formed because no other association within the Canadian Lean Six Sigma industry offered certification without also offering training. ALSSP does not provide Lean Six Sigma related training, mentoring, coaching or consulting services. ALSSP exclusively offers Certification & Accreditation services based on established, recognized and published criteria. None of which are dependent upon the use or engagement with any specific trainer(s), training provider(s), consultant(s), proprietary training content, products or software or any specific organization or company offering Lean Six Sigma or any other services. Offering training to candidates, particularly on a commercial level, along with self-defined certification criteria creates a potential conflict of interest.
The ALSSP Certification exam criteria are dependent only upon the successful completion of an ALSSP Certification exam and nothing else. Anyone may sit for an ALSSP certification exam, there are no other dependencies or prerequisites.
The ALSSP Accreditations are dependent only upon satisfactory alignment to the Accreditation criteria defined for each Accreditation. Any trainer or organization can apply for ALSSP Accreditation, if they meet the criteria, they will achieve ALSSP Accreditation.
Third-party certification is a method of certification that is independently developed and verified thereby reducing conflict of interest and providing significant meaning. The classifications of certification methods are:
First-party certification, is a self-declaration. “I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt because I meet the criteria which I have defined and therefore I can say that I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.”
Second-party certification, is when a company or training provider creates its own verification program for candidate certification. “I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt because I meet the criteria defined by the organization that provided my training.”
Third-party certification verifies that a product, process or service meets a defined standard. “I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt because I meet the criteria defined by an impartial association that maintains a universal standard.”
Historically second-party certification has been the norm in the Lean Six Sigma Industry such as those run by the early adopters like Motorola, GE and Toyota. However, now more and more people, training providers and organizations, are utilizing and incorporating ALSSP’s third-party certifications.
Certification Questions
ALSSP Certification is a globally recognized Lean Six Sigma Certification. ALSSP has been conducting Professional Credentialing in Lean Six Sigma based on our mission of bringing Certification Best Practices to the industry in Canada and abroad.
If a professional has been certified by ALSSP, it means the professional has successfully demonstrated their competence in the subject matters as determined by professionally developed examinations.
Certified Professionals are issued a Certificate (PDF) along with a Certification Number, a badge (.png file), added to the Official ALSSP Certification Register and granted the right to use the ALSSP Certification Marks and Titles; as professional designation which may be used in resumes and public profiles such as LinkedIn.
ALSSP™ offers quite a few Lean Six Sigma Certifications. ALSSP Black Belt Certification, ALSSP Green Belt Certification, ALSSP Yellow Belt Certification, ALSSP White Belt Certification and other practitioner and professional certifications for business transformation, change management and project management.
Please visit our pricing page for details on the costing for each certification exam. Bulk discounts are available for companies looking to certify teams of more than 10 employees. Please contact us on certifications@alssp.org for corporate / bulk certification costs.
All exam questions are multiple choice and true/false.
ALSSP Exam Candidates can take the exam at their own pace but are highly suggested to take up to 3 hours for the ALSSP Certified Black Belt Exam, up to 2 hours for the ALSSP Certified Green Belt Exam, up to 1 hours for the ALSSP Certified Yellow Belt Exam and up to 45mins for the ALSSP Certified White Belt Exam. The time limit suggestions are only to ensure that you are capable of solving complex issues in a real world environment.
Some exams contain additional non-graded questions that will not impact your score. These questions change on a regular basis and we do not signify which questions they are but they will not count either towards or against your score. These non-graded questions are put in place to help thwart cheating and to test the performance of exam questions. The Black Belt Exam contains 150 questions and may also include up to an additional 15 non-graded questions. The Green Belt Exam contains 100 questions and may also include up to an additional 10 non-graded questions. The Yellow Belt Exam contains 60 questions and may also include up to an additional 6 non-graded questions. The White Belt Exam contains 30 questions and may also include up to an additional 3 non-graded questions.
Yes. ALSSP tests your understanding of the matter rather than your ability to memorize.
Are there any pre-requisites to sit for the exams?
ALSSP ™ Certification Exams are professionally developed to assess a person’s understanding as it relates Lean and Six Sigma Concepts. While things such as work experience and project application experience are helpful in obtaining the knowledge required to successfully complete the exams they are not requirements.
The sole objective of the ALSSP Certified Black Belt Exam, ALSSP Certified Green Belt Exam, ALSSP Certified Yellow Belt Exam and ALSSP Certified White Belt Exam Exam is to measure the examinee’s knowledge, understanding and application capability. This is in alignment with the best practices of many professional credentialing certification standards.
If you do not achieve a passing score on an ALSSP Certification on your first attempt, you can retake the certification at your convenience. We suggest you take a 2-week gap to revise and refresh your knowledge base before retrying.
Each ALSSP exam fee is only valid for one attempt at an exam. If you do no pass, you will need to purchase another exam sitting if you wish to retake it.
I want to get ALSSP Certified but need training first, what should I know?
ALSSP is an independent third-party certifier and as such does not provide training. ALSSP certifications follow a universally accepted BoK and as such you can choose to study with any training provider that trains for the respective belt that you choose to get certified in. Online learning providers like Udemy provide a bunch of options for flexible online learning.
Yes. The ALSSP Certification Exams are offered by ALSSP’s Official Examination Institute online and are available globally. You can choose to conduct your certification exam via our On-Demand Web-Based testing method at a time and location of your choice.
ALSSP ™ aims to test your ability to apply the knowledge at any specific belt of certification that you choose. Also, if experience is part of the certification requirements, then there is the potential of a data privacy issue due to the likely, proprietary nature of the information contained in the LSS projects and the sponsoring organization’s reluctance to allow such projects to be submitted in a format whereby their substance could be assessed. While acceptance of a Project Summary or a Project Affidavit (as is accepted by the American Society for Quality – ASQ) were considered, it was concluded there is no viable means of assuring the validity of such a submittal therefore ALSSP could make no definitive statement as to the candidate’s competency based on such a submittal.
With all these issues considered extensively and exhaustively it is ALSSP’s decision to primarily evaluate an examinee’s ability to apply such knowledge through the online certification only.
Accreditation Questions
If a business or professional trainer has been accredited by ALSSP™ it means ALSSP has determined they meet certain Lean Six Sigma best-practice standards and criteria established by ALSSP. Each Accreditation has its own standards and criteria. Entities and Trainers earn ALSSP Accreditation by voluntarily applying for the Accreditation and furnishing evidence to prove alignment to the standards. ALSSP conducts reasonable due diligence to ensure alignment to the ALSSP Accreditation standards prior to granting Accreditation.
ALSSP offers a total of 3 Accreditations. The ALSSP Accredited Training Organization (AATO), ALSSP Accredited Training Associate (AATA), ALSSP Accredited Curriculum Provider (AACP).
First-party certification, is a self-declaration. “I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt because I meet the criteria which I have defined and therefore I can say that I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.”
Second-party certification, is when a company or training provider creates its own verification program for candidate certification. “I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt because I meet the criteria defined by the organization that provided my training.”
Third-party certification verifies that a product, process or service meets a defined standard. “I am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt because I meet the criteria defined by an impartial association that maintains a universal standard.”
Historically second-party certification has been the norm in the Lean Six Sigma Industry such as those run by the early adopters like Motorola, GE and Toyota. However, now more and more people, training providers and organizations, are utilizing and incorporating ALSSP’s third-party certifications.
ALSSP recognizes the critical aspects of certification best-practices and the importance of the linkage between Lean Six Sigma Training Providers and learners seeking ALSSP Certification. ALSSP is a Professional Credentialing Association and independent third-party certifier. Therefore, we do not provide Lean Six Sigma Training Services. Accreditation affords Lean Six Sigma Providers an opportunity to take a meaningful step towards validating the alignment of their training programs with the knowledge elements required and tested for in ALSSP Certification. Accreditation provides learners with valuable input in their search for Lean Six Sigma Providers.
ALSSP Accreditations were introduced and are offered to the Lean Six Sigma Marketplace at the general request of both training providers and those seeking lean six sigma educational services. Training and Product Providers who voluntarily align to the Universally accepted Lean and Six Sigma Body of Knowledge have requested that ALSSP provide a means of verification of such. Similarly, those seeking lean six sigma education have requested that ALSSP provide options for learning lean six sigma that aligns to the ALSSP Certification standards. In an attempt to satisfy these requests in an unbiased manner, ALSSP Accreditations have been established. ALSSP universally and impartially applies Accreditation criteria to all providers seeking ALSSP Accreditation. ALSSP Accreditation criteria is not dependent upon any specific trainer(s), consultant(s), training content, software or any third-party organization or company offering these or any other services other than that which is specified in the defined criteria.
Not necessarily, ALSSP will consider accreditation for whatever belt level(s) you offer. This will be noted on your accreditation profile.
The AATO, AATA and AACP accreditations are valid for a period of one (1) year from the month of issue. Accreditations are renewed by the submittal of an application with the current information, payment of the then current Accreditation Fee and submittal of evidence of meeting the criteria.
No, Accreditation fees can be waived off if you are a non-profit or charitable organization that is looking to become an ATO.
As a general rule the process will take approximately 2-3 weeks. However, the length of time to process an accreditation application is subject to the information submitted. If all is in order and submitted in a timely fashion the process can be as short as two (2) weeks. If additional information is necessary or an accreditation candidate (only in case of AATA) delays sitting for the certification qualification exam then the time period is extended.
No, You yet need to take the official exam online through ALSSP.
If the Provider administers or provides access to an ALSSP Certification exam and you sit for and pass the official ALSSP Certification exam you will be ALSSP Certified. However, not all Accredited entities or Trainers administer or provide access to ALSSP Certification exams AND the Accreditation of an entity does not constitute ALSSP’s approval or recognition of that entity’s own lean six sigma certificate or certification program. If you are pursuing training with the intention to earn an ALSSP Certification we strongly encourage you to confirm with the Provider in advance that they are authorized to and will administer or provide access to official ALSSP Certification exams.
If you have any doubts or would like to verify claims made by Accredited or non-accredited parties relative to ALSSP, ALSSP Certification or ALSSP Certification Exams, we encourage you to contact ALSSP Support through Info@alssp.org
Do I have to receive training from an ALSSP Accredited Entity in order to earn ALSSP Certification?
No, earning an ALSSP Certification does not require that you obtain services from an Accredited Provider or Trainer. There are no pre-requisites to sit for an ALSSP Black Belt, Green Belt, Yellow Belt or White Belt Certification exam. You are not required to purchase any product from an Accredited or any particular Non-Accredited Provider in order to access an ALSSP Certification exam.
What process should I follow if I have a complaint about an ALSSP Accredited Provider?
Please contact us with any inquiry or concern relative to an accredited entity. ALSSP will conduct an investigation of the Accredited Providers.
Body of Knowledge Questions
By various measures, the ALSSP and ASQ Lean Six Sigma Standards and Certifications are both widely respected, recognized and utilized across the Lean Six Sigma Industry. The differences in the Bodies of Knowledge becomes apparent when comparing the two standards. The ASQ Body of Knowledge defines areas outside of what ALSSP believes the industry considers standard knowledge requirements for a designated practitioner. For example, these areas include, Enterprise Wide Deployment and DFSS, among others. However the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) components of the ALSSP & ASQ Bodies of Knowledge are almost identical. Additionally, in terms of certification criteria, ASQ requires you to have work experience and you need to establish that through an affidavit of project completion being submitted for consideration of Black Belt and Green Belt Certifications. ALSSP provides knowledge based certification exams and does not have an experience requirement, nor does it recognize the legitimacy of an affidavit to satisfy a project requirement.
These are available on the Universally Accepted Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge page. Please keep in mind that the Body of Knowledge is simply a list of the subject matter that is covered in each certification exam.
Methodology Questions
Psychometrics is the field of study concerned with the theory and technique of educational and psychological measurement, which includes the measurement of knowledge, abilities, attitudes and personality traits. The field is primarily concerned with the study of measurement instruments such as questionnaires and tests. It involves two major research tasks: (i) the construction of instruments and procedures for measurement; and (ii) the development and refinement of theoretical approaches to measurement.
In 1956, Benjamin Bloom headed a group of educational psychologists who developed a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important in learning. Bloom found that over 95% of the test questions students encounter require them to think only at the lowest possible level…the recall of information.
Bloom identified six levels within the cognitive domain from the simple recall or recognition of facts, at the lowest level, through increasingly more complex and abstract mental levels, to the highest order that is classified as evaluation.
These levels are from “Levels of Cognition” (from Bloom’s Taxonomy – Revised, 2001). They are listed in order from the least complex to the most complex.
Remember (Lowest)
Recalling memorized information. May involve remembering a wide range of material from specific facts to complete theories, but all that is required is the bringing to mind of the appropriate information. Represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the cognitive domain.
Learning objectives at this level: know common terms, know specific facts, know methods and procedures, know basic concepts, know principles.
Question verbs: Define, list, state, identify, label, name, who? when? where? what?
Understand
The ability to grasp the meaning of material. Translating material from one form to another (words to numbers), interpreting material (explaining or summarizing), estimating future trends (predicting consequences or effects). Goes one step beyond the simple remembering of material, and represent the lowest level of understanding.
Learning objectives at this level: understand facts and principles, interpret verbal material, interpret charts and graphs, translate verbal material to mathematical formulae, estimate the future consequences implied in data, justify methods and procedures.
Question verbs: Explain, predict, interpret, infer, summarize, convert, translate, give example, account for, paraphrase x?
Apply
The ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations. Applying rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, and theories. Learning outcomes in this area require a higher level of understanding than those under comprehension.
Learning objectives at this level: apply concepts and principles to new situations, apply laws and theories to practical situations, solve mathematical problems, construct graphs and charts, demonstrate the correct usage of a method or procedure.
Question verbs: How could x be used to y? How would you show, make use of, modify, demonstrate, solve, or apply x to conditions y?
Analyze
The ability to break down material into its component parts. Identifying parts, analysis of relationships between parts, recognition of the organizational principles involved. Learning outcomes here represent a higher intellectual level than comprehension and application because they require an understanding of both the content and the structural form of the material.
Learning objectives at this level: recognize unstated assumptions, recognizes logical fallacies in reasoning, distinguish between facts and inferences, evaluate the relevancy of data, analyze the organizational structure of a work (art, music, writing).
Question verbs: Differentiate, compare / contrast, distinguish x from y, how does x affect or relate to y? why? how? What piece of x is missing / needed?
Evaluate
The ability to put parts together to form a new whole. This may involve the production of a unique communication (theme or speech), a plan of operations (research proposal), or a set of abstract relations (scheme for classifying information). Learning outcomes in this area stress creative behaviors, with major emphasis on the formulation of new patterns or structure.
Learning objectives at this level: write a well organized paper, give a well organized speech, write a creative short story (or poem or music), propose a plan for an experiment, integrate learning from different areas into a plan for solving a problem, formulate a new scheme for classifying objects (or events, or ideas).
Question verbs: Design, construct, develop, formulate, imagine, create, change, write a short story and label the following elements:
Create (Highest)
The ability to judge the value of material (statement, novel, poem, research report) for a given purpose. The judgments are to be based on definite criteria, which may be internal (organization) or external (relevance to the purpose). The student may determine the criteria or be given them. Learning outcomes in this area are highest in the cognitive hierarchy because they contain elements of all the other categories, plus conscious value judgments based on clearly defined criteria.
Learning objectives at this level: judge the logical consistency of written material, judge the adequacy with which conclusions are supported by data, judge the value of a work (art, music, writing) by the use of internal criteria, judge the value of a work (art, music, writing) by use of external standards of excellence.
Question verbs: Justify, appraise, evaluate, judge x according to given criteria. Which option would be better/preferable to party y?
ALSSP itself is a third-party association that provides certifications.
These are available on the Lean and Six Sigma Body of Knowledge page. Please keep in mind that the Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge is simply a list of the subject matter that is covered in each certification exam.