As you go through your six sigma training you know you have that big exam waiting at the end. Here are some tips to help you pass with flying colors.
The Six Sigma Certification is designed to help individuals become specialists in process improvement. It’s designed to provide you with a set of tools and techniques to improve processes within an organization.
There are various skill levels: Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master Black Belt. Not only will getting certified help your organization improve its business processes while sustaining quality improvement, you’ll also earn more money.
Most salaries on Indeed.com show that those with Six Sigma training and certification earn over $100,000. Globally speaking, they’re also among the highest paid professionals.
However, the test isn’t easy. It’s common to fail it. Keep reading to learn ten tips on how to pass the six sigma training with flying colors.
1. Know Your Motivation for Taking the Test
This isn’t an easy test. Most people taking the exam haven’t been in school for a long time. This is a major step in your professional career.
Which is why it’s so important to determine first why you want to go through all the preparation and studying. If this decision isn’t made for the right reasons, it will make going through the six sigma training that much more difficult.
Finding time to study when you already have a full-time job is difficult. Think about what you hope to gain by taking the exam. You’ll need a lot of motivation in order to be successful.
Also, if the exam is a requirement made by your company, your career advancement will be directly impacted by your performance. Think it over, do some planning, discuss with others, and review your reasons for taking the exam before you fully commit.
2. Test Yourself on Practice Questions
Not everyone is great at taking tests. Especially multiple-choice exams. Part of your training should be to practice taking exams.
Answer all the test questions at the end of each chapter. Since they’re based on old test questions they’ll provide a good representation of the type of wording and questions you’ll get on the actual exam.
That way, when the time comes, you’ll be comfortable and ready to pass the test with flying colors.
Use online practice tests to help you with your six sigma training. The Six Sigma Study Guide has a large collection of practice tests, exams, and questions.
You’ll also find that the Six Sigma Training Free also has a large selection of resources such as practice exams.
3. Do Extra Reading
The more reading you do from a variety of sources, the easier your six sigma training will be. Of course, which books you choose to use as additional study guides will be dependant on your current level of knowledge, the course materials you already have, and your own specific needs.
Here are four books that people undertaking the six sigma training often find helpful:
1. The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook
2. Six Sigma Demystified, 2nd Edition
3. Implementing Six Sigma, Second Edition: Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods
4. Plan Out How Much Time You’ll Need
Time management isn’t everyone’s strength. The six sigma training isn’t easy and it’s time-consuming. Before you schedule your exam, do some thinking first.
Determine how much training you’ll need before you’re ready. If you’ve already passed a Green Belt certification, think back to how much time you needed.
If you already have some contextual knowledge, things will be a bit easier. You’re probably already keeping up with the industry and have read some supplemental books. If you haven’t, you’ll need more time to prepare.
Even if you’re already working crazy hours, working is very different from studying. It requires taking a new approach.
You’ll also have to take into account your current work schedule. If you’re already working 80 hours, you’ll have to be very well organized to fit in all your duties and still manage to find time to study.
Also, if you travel a lot, the amount of time you have to study will be much smaller.
Don’t forget about your family and personal demands. You’ll have to ensure you take that into account when planning your study time.
Most people find that if you’ve just completed your six sigma training, around one month of studying should be a reasonable amount of time.
5. Learn by Teaching the Material
People often learn by doing or teaching. Once you’ve learned the material, you can volunteer to teach it to others. As you do so, you’ll become a master of the material.
You can write articles about six sigma training. Others will definitely benefit from your own personal experience.
Create a powerpoint presentation. Upload it to a site like LinkedIn where you’ll get feedback.
You can also join a professional organization like ASQ. There are volunteer opportunities with them.
If there are others at your place of employment who are also studying for the exam, set up a lunch-and-learn session. All it takes is to book a room where you and your co-workers can learn and support one another.
Lastly, you can also find other places where learning these skills would be very welcome. A Learning Annex or a networking group like Toastmasters would both be places where you could fulfill your speaking requirements.
6. Use Post-Its or Flags to Help You Find Answers
While you can’t take all study materials in with you, there are certain items you can bring with you into the exam. To help you find what you’re looking for when you’re already in a stressful situation, use post-it notes or post-it flags to mark what you need.
Part of your six sigma training is to get yourself well organized so that when unexpected and stressful events occur, you can still work and think efficiently. Mark everything clearly so you can find what you need.
7. Plan Properly to Avoid Mistakes
It’s not uncommon for poor planning to screw up your chances of passing the test. However, there are some steps you can take to avoid making any mistakes.
Reduce Your Stress
The more you plan ahead, the less stress you’ll feel. This will help you make smarter decisions.
Make sure you have double-checked your enrollment and the location of the test. Make sure your travel arrangements are secure and reliable.
Eat well the night before and plan to get a good night’s sleep. On the day of the exam, eat a good breakfast. Pack your materials the night before and double-check them before you leave.
Plan to arrive at the test area early. If you tend to be late for things, give yourself an extra hour to be sure you arrive in plenty of time. Bring any medications and beverages you may need.
You cannot bring in your cell phone or any device with access to the internet into the room. Bring a calculator instead and know how to use it. Bring extra batteries just in case.
Have all your reference materials well organized and labeled so you can find everything you need easily.
8. Find a Real Life Project to Practice on
Part of your six sigma training is to learn how to become a leader. Some people are natural leaders while others need to learn how to become one.
If you aren’t a natural leader, now is the time to put challenge yourself. Find a project at work where you can practice these new skills.
You’ll learn how to become helpful to others. You’ll show you’re capable of solving pressing problems. New skills will be learned and you’ll probably learn about new divisions and processes you weren’t aware of before.
This is an opportunity to make an impact on your current role. While it might not immediately impact your paycheck, it will demonstrate your ability to step up and be a competent leader.
Even if you choose to leave your company after you complete your six sigma training and pass the test, getting real-life practice will impress future potential employers.
9. Know Your Weaknesses and Turn Them Into Strengths
We all have strengths and weaknesses. During your six sigma training, you’ll find out some of yours.
When you identify a weakness in your studying, don’t panic. There are ways to turn them into strengths.
Knowing what to expect during the exam can help. There are about 10 categories in the ASQ exam with 150 multiple choice questions.
The test is four hours which means you have only 1 minute and 33 seconds to answer each question. Also, since no one knows for sure what the cutoff is for a passing grade, you’ll need to aim to pass 90% of the exam.
Determine your worst category and then focus more on understanding the course material. Work to improve the accuracy of your responses.
Find ways to improve how quickly you can answer each question. Lastly, make sure you find a way to answer each question on the exam in the time allotted. If you get stuck on one question, you won’t have time to answer the rest and you’ll fail.
10. Take a Six Sigma Training Course
Not all of us are great at studying on our own. Taking a training course will help you learn everything you need to know.
Our database of online courses and tests will help you prepare for your exam. Whether you’re looking to take the six sigma test or any other test to help you further your career, we can help.
Click here to search our expert rating certifications with courseware.