International Quality Federation (IQF) is an all-volunteer organization of quality practitioners and subject matter experts that saw the need for standardization in the Six Sigma field. They have administered several hundred exams thus far, 80- 90% employer monitored and endorsed. Employers using the exam include Boeing, Visteon, and others.
The IQF certification exam is nothing like traditional certification exams. Instead, it is a rigorous, computer-based test of your ability to use modern methods to improve business operations.The exam consists of 2 sections:
- Fundamentals - short questions & problems designed to test the basic understanding of Six Sigma tools & concepts.
- Applications (not required for Green Belt) - detailed problems designed to test Six Sigma problem solving ability.
Each of these sections must be completed in 4 hours. The exam is open book. After completing the exam, the exam software generates a code and using the code one can retrieve the score from the internet.
EXAM
The IQF Certification Exam is computer based, which offers two advantages: the exam may be taken at your leisure (rather than at pre-determined times and locations), and it encourages the use of analytical software in developing your response. In this way, the testing is a bit more realistic than multiple choice exams.
View IQF Green Belt Certificate (Sample).
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 is 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 |
60% |
50% |
Master Black Belt |
75% |
75% |
In addition to giving a formal training exam, additional requirements 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 projects is not a requirement for Green Belts, however, it is a good idea to do one project.
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