Who is this programme for?
Experienced Green Belts, project leaders, process owners and quality professionals who want to lead complex improvement work methodically.
Curriculum & Assessment Programme
Six Sigma Black Belt – Curriculum and Assessment Programme
Lead demanding improvement projects from problem definition to controlled handover. The focus is on credible data, justified methodological decisions and a clear account of what an analysis can—and cannot—demonstrate.
Academy-owned programmes are offered in German and English. Hungarian instruction is available for PECB courses only.
Audience and entry requirements
What are the entry requirements?
Green Belt knowledge or equivalent demonstrated knowledge of DMAIC, data analysis and process improvement. No specific certificate issuer is required. Evidence may include a certificate, a substantive project summary or a structured entry discussion with a technical case task. Any foundation gaps are identified before booking; experience of improvement projects is recommended.
Scope and learning format
A modular course with an individually agreed schedule. Teaching hours, in-person days, supervised project time and assessment dates are specified before booking. The percentages below describe the emphasis of the curriculum, not a promised number of days. Live teaching is available online or in person; independent assessment work is identified separately.
Which competencies will you demonstrate?
- Define an assessable improvement project with a clear problem, process boundary and measurable objective.
- Assess the suitability of measurement and process data and explicitly identify inadequate evidence.
- Select an appropriate statistical method, check its assumptions and explain uncertainty in the result.
- Evaluate causal hypotheses and improvement options using traceable evidence without asserting unsupported causation.
- Design an experiment or pilot with meaningful comparison conditions.
- Develop a control plan that detects deviations and triggers defined responses.
- Explain technical decisions to project teams and sponsors.
The curriculum
1. Project mandate, process and objectives
Problem boundaries, voice of the customer, critical-to-quality characteristics, SIPOC, process mapping, project charter, benefit assumptions, team roles and stakeholders. Distinguishing results from assumptions.
Scope / allocation
10% of subject content
Evidence and output
A project charter with an outcome measure, scope and justified data-collection question.
2. Measurement, data collection and baseline
Operational definitions, sampling and data quality; repeatability and reproducibility, attribute measurement, distributions, process stability and prerequisites for capability assessment.
Scope / allocation
20% of subject content
Evidence and output
A data-collection plan, measurement-system review and justified baseline assessment.
3. Testing causes and interpreting uncertainty
Causal hypotheses, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, practical and statistical significance, effect sizes, regression and model assumptions. Comparing suitable parametric and non-parametric approaches. Avoiding the equation of correlation with causation.
Scope / allocation
25% of subject content
Evidence and output
A reproducible analysis documenting method selection, diagnostics and limits of inference.
4. Designing and testing improvements
Solution options, risk and effort, experimental design including factors, interactions, randomisation and replication; piloting, Lean methods and assessment of transferability.
Scope / allocation
20% of subject content
Evidence and output
An improvement or experimental plan with success criteria and safeguards against misinterpretation.
5. Sustaining results and handing over
Statistical process control, selection and interpretation of suitable control charts, response plans, standardisation, responsibilities and follow-up. Limits of short observation periods.
Scope / allocation
15% of subject content
Evidence and output
A control and handover plan with measures, ownership and escalation rules.
6. Project leadership and technical defence
Facilitation, team conflict and change, traceable decisions, accessible presentation of statistical findings, ethical data use and critical self-review.
Scope / allocation
10% of subject content
Evidence and output
A management-level presentation and justified responses to critical questions.
How your work is assessed
Weighting: 30%
A. Written case and data analysis
Four case-based task areas involving calculation, interpretation and justified method selection; not solely multiple-choice questions.
120 minutes, supervised
- Problem structure and selection of a method that fits the question.
- Accurate calculations or appropriate use of traceable software output.
- Assumptions, uncertainty and practical significance.
- Critical: data must not be treated as fit for purpose where the task contains a material measurement or data-quality defect.
Weighting: 50%
B. Documented DMAIC project
An individual report of 15–25 pages excluding appendices, with the data basis, reproducible analytical steps, evaluation of alternatives and a control plan. Either an authorised, anonymised workplace project or an equivalent complex Academy case is accepted.
Submission within six weeks of approval of the assignment; workload and supervision are specified separately in the course schedule.
- Problem and objectives (10% of the component score).
- Data basis and measurement-system assessment (20%).
- Method selection, analysis and uncertainty (25%).
- Evaluation of solutions and effectiveness (25%).
- Control plan, documentation and transferability (20%).
- Critical: traceable data provenance; no fabricated measurements or savings. Simulations in a supplied case must be identified as such.
- Critical: conclusions must be supported by the data and method; material limitations must not be concealed.
Weighting: 20%
C. Professional discussion and defence
Ten minutes presenting the key decisions followed by twenty minutes of technical questions about the candidate’s own work.
30 minutes
- Methodological rationale and demonstrable personal understanding.
- Critical reflection, limitations and defensible alternatives.
- Clear communication and reasoned application to practice.
- Critical: the candidate must independently explain the central analytical steps and conclusions.
Pass requirements
A pass requires at least 70% overall after weighting and at least 60% in every mandatory assessment component. Rubric-based work uses a 0–4 scale: 0 = missing or technically unusable; 1 = major errors without a defensible rationale; 2 = substantially sound, with limited gaps; 3 = technically sound, traceable and applied appropriately; 4 = also critically evaluated, with justified alternatives and limitations. Every criterion expressly designated critical must score at least 2 out of 4. These pass thresholds are Academy programme rules; ISO/IEC 17024 does not prescribe them.
Permitted resources and AI
Written assessment: supplied dataset, approved formula sheet, calculator and statistical or spreadsheet software named in advance; no third-party communication or generative AI. Project work: literature, software and generative AI may be used as supporting tools if their use and material contributions are documented. Responsibility for data, calculations, sources and conclusions remains with the candidate. Professional discussion: the submitted report and agreed presentation; no undisclosed assistance.
Identity and independent work
Identity is checked before each supervised assessment component. Submitted work includes a declaration of authorship, a record of sources and tools, and identification of contributions by others. The professional discussion checks the candidate’s personal understanding of the submission. Personal and business data must be anonymised or submitted only with documented authorisation.
The common assessment rules also cover retakes, reasonable adjustments, appeals, confidentiality and certificate authorisation.
Assessment and Certificate RulesWhat your certificate demonstrates
Six Sigma Black Belt – Assessed Academy Certificate
- Scope of the credential
- Records successful demonstration of the stated Black Belt competencies through written analysis, project work and technical defence. The case type (workplace project or supplied case), programme ELA-PRG-BB and revision are identified. A successful case assessment is not presented as proof of realised business savings.
- How to interpret the qualification
- An Academy-owned assessed qualification. It is not PECB or ASQ certification and is not accredited personnel certification. The reference to ISO/IEC 17024:2026 describes the assessment programme’s alignment with selected principles; full conformity with the standard is not asserted.
- Assessment date and currency
- Under Academy policy, this certificate is valid for a maximum of three years from its date of issue. It is issued only after all programme and assessment requirements have been met and the award decision has been documented. The validity period does not start on enrolment or at the beginning of the course. The actual validity period and expiry date are stated on the certificate; a shorter period applies only when expressly specified in the relevant course or assessment programme. There is no automatic extension. Renewal requires a documented review of current knowledge and application appropriate to the programme, using recent evidence and/or a suitable update or competence assessment. Repurchasing the entire course is not a blanket requirement. A renewed Academy certificate is also valid for no more than three years from its issue date. Attendance and passing an assessment remain verifiable historical facts tied to their dates; they do not provide indefinite validity as evidence of current competence.
This programme applies to deliveries whose agreed course and assessment plan explicitly references this revision. Existing bookings retain their agreed terms.
Programme questions
Do I need a Green Belt from a specific provider?
No. The relevant foundations matter. A certificate is one possible form of evidence; equivalent knowledge may also be demonstrated through project records and a technical entry task.
Must I bring a workplace project?
No. You may use an authorised, anonymised project or work on a complex Academy case. Both routes are assessed against the same competence criteria. The type of case is disclosed in the completion record.
How does Black Belt differ from Green Belt?
It concentrates on more complex analytical and improvement decisions, their statistical justification and methodological project leadership. Foundation knowledge alone is not sufficient for the project and its defence.
Is a particular statistics package required?
Permitted tools are specified in the course and assessment schedule. Assessment concerns traceable analysis and correct conclusions, not proficiency with a particular brand. Software access and any additional costs are clarified before booking.
Is this PECB certification or accredited ISO 17024 certification?
No. It is the Academy’s own assessed programme. Alignment with selected ISO/IEC 17024 principles does not replace evidence of certification-body conformity or accreditation.
What if I fail one assessment component?
You receive feedback on the assessed competence areas. Retakes follow the published Academy assessment rules. A failed mandatory component cannot be offset by a very strong score elsewhere; fees and dates are communicated before a retake is booked.
Advice & course planning
Solo self-employed in Germany? Discuss potential KOMPASS support with an official advisory centre before booking. We can help you select a suitable programme in a consultation.
An Academy-owned assessed competence credential. The assessment programme refers to selected principles of ISO/IEC 17024:2026. This is not a claim of accreditation or fully demonstrated conformity.