Exam Based Six Sigma Certifications – Legit or Fraud?

My experience tells me it needs to be both. The project itself is great experience to put some tools to practical use, but not all tools are applicable for every project, therefore it doesn’t sufficiently demonstrate all the capabilities that are required to become certified. Furthermore, most Greenbelt projects (in my experience) are done with the help of a mentor so it can be hard to determine how much input the mentor had vs the actual Greenbelt. I have seen cases where someone gets certified when the mentor has done all the work and then the company is left with a Certified Greenbelt that isn’t capable of another project. As for the exam, I feel it can be used to test greenbelts on a broader range of tools and theories that might not be applicable in their projects, as well as, force them to have a better understanding of the material, rather than just struggling their way through a project with the help of a mentor. So as I initially said, I feel it is both, both have pros and cons and both are meaningful, provided that the exam is well written and that the project is appropriately scoped and justifiable.

Would you allow a surgeon who never performed an actual surgery operate on a loved one. I know many LSS MBBs, BBs, and GBs, who never actual done a project and are subsequently clueless about how things actually get done.
You need experience. Making mistakes is part of the learning process that books can’t teach you.

I too think ‘fraud’ is a bit much but I know when I got my BB certification (which required a project) – the test was a good way for me, and my MBB, to know the areas where I was weak. When I put it into practice in my project is when I really learned the whys of what I was doing. That being said I know BBs & GBs that did their cert. project to get certified but haven’t done a project since then and other people that haven’t had a bit of Lean or Six Sigma training that do a great job of CI in their day to day jobs because that’s how they are – they want to make things better any way they can. They don’t run projects but I love having those people on project teams because they walk the walk and will get in there to really get results. From what I’ve seen it basically comes down to the individual – for some certification ends up being for the person or their resume but what they do with the knowledge they have obtained is what’s important.

First I would ask: what kind of education do they have? If they are all industrial/process engineers, I would say no, don’t bother with green belt. But if they have no experience/education in problem solving and continuous improvement, then they would definitely benefit.

I have an I.E. degree and learned about fishbone diagrams, out-of-control control charts, statistics, Deming, lean, six sigma, and more. Now it is up to me to learn how to apply the education, which can only be done through experience over time. But if your people have no experience, then green belt education would be great.

I personally think all the belts are a joke. I’ve solved many problems and improved a lot at my plant, does that make me a master or does that mean I’m good at using common sense, experimentation, communication, and the help of others?

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications are NOT legitimate at all. If you look at job descriptions/postings requiring Six Sigma, Black Belt certification is usually the preference. Green Belts are in training. So, any effort you undertake certifying Green Belts is a waste. Whether the certification calls for a project or not, it is a waste. Spend your time on certifying Black Belts. Make a wise investment in your people, in the company. Usually, the Black Belt certification is incrementally more with exponential benefits.