Book Review: The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook

Today we do a book review on The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook from T. M. Kubiak and Donald W. Benbow. A book that counts as one of the references for Six Sigma handbooks. The book is bought by many people who are preparing to sit for a Six Sigma black belt certification examination. Afterward, it can also be used as a relevant Six Sigma reference book.  The book reflects the ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt Body of Knowledge which means it contains all information needed to pass the exam.

Extra CD included with The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook

When you buy the book, you not only get a book but also a CD that contains 180 problems. These problems cover the content of the book. the CD contains also a 150-question exam that simulates the certification exam. It is a good way to test your knowledge and understanding of what you can expect!

Structured content and examples

The book has a lot of content that is structured in a clear way so that you can keep your overview. However, depending on your professional experience and your experience with six sigma it could be that you need to do some extra research for some topics. The underlying statistics can be overwhelming if you have no experience at all. Also, some of the quality and project management topics can be too high-level if you lack experience. Personally I do not see this as a problem since most people who are sitting for a black belt have this background knowledge. If not some extra books or online courses could help to build up experience. But this is certainly not mandatory if you want to go for a certificate.

The book is very 'math-focused' which is, of course, an important part when you are a blackbelt. Luckily it contains a lot of examples. Although some examples can be found quite high-level and it is not always as easy to find out what the results mean in practice.

Errors

On the downside The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook, the third edition still counts some errors. Something which was also reported frequently about the second edition. So If something does not make sense, it is maybe because you are right and the book is wrong. In doubt, I would recommend that you get in contact with a black belt for help. There are plenty of forums where you can post your questions and get some advice. Therefore I give this book review of The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook a 8/10. 

This article was updated on November 30, 2022