Validates knowledge of leading Six Sigma projects, including the DMAIC method, advanced statistics, team management and organizational deployment.
CSSBB is ASQ's project-leader Six Sigma certification, for people who lead improvement projects and coach others. It tests the full DMAIC method with advanced statistics, team leadership and organization-wide deployment, and it rests on completed Six Sigma projects, so it reflects real results.
Commenters point out that ASQ's Black Belt requires completed projects with sign-off, and agree no certificate counts until you have applied it.
Commenters say ASQ is the name everyone knows, so choosing it is hard to get wrong, though some employers want only a certificate and others ask about your projects.
A commenter says passing depends on having used these tools in daily work, and that the handbook, study guide and question bank are enough practice if you have.
ASQ’s Six Sigma certifications run Yellow Belt, Green Belt and Black Belt.
CSSBB is valid for 3 years. Renew with a journal of 18 recertification units, or retake the exam.
Renewal dates fall on June 30 or December 31. You can apply up to six months before your date and for 60 days after it; after that only the exam route remains, and the certification lapses if you do not recertify within a year. Employment counts at 0.3 units a month, and professional development has no cap. Holding several ASQ certifications lets you renew them in one journal.
ASQ recertification ↗
A Black Belt exam with no project or experience requirement.
ASQ’s practitioner belt, with three years of experience required.
Auditing quality systems rather than leading improvement projects.
Broader project management rather than process improvement.
$585, or $485 for ASQ members. A retake costs $385.
Either two completed Six Sigma projects with signed affidavits, or one completed project with a signed affidavit and three years of full-time paid work in the Black Belt Body of Knowledge.
No. ASQ does not require CSSGB before CSSBB.
Yes. Renew every three years with 18 recertification units ($160, or $120 for members) or by retaking the exam.
Yes. All references must be bound, and the exam includes an on-screen calculator.
Yes. Prometric offers live remote proctoring in most countries, alongside test centres.
Yes. ASQ states that the CSSBB program is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under ISO/IEC 17024.
Last updated October 2026
