Try sample questions before purchasing the final exam.
Certification Catalog
Compare practical quality certifications built around timed online exams.
Each Northstar certification is designed for working professionals who want affordable proof of practical quality, Lean, and process improvement knowledge. Practice is free; final exams are paid, timed, and scored immediately.
Designed for working professionals
Clear, practical, job-relevant
Every credential has a listed price, time limit, passing score, and body of knowledge.
Final exams use a consistent passing standard unless a certification states otherwise.
Passing candidates receive a printable certificate with a credential ID.
Foundational
$29
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt
Built for operators, production coordinators, manufacturing support staff, and early-career professionals who need a practical introduction to Lean thinking, waste reduction, and structured problem solving.
Good fit for
- Quality technicians and inspectors moving into improvement work
- Production supervisors who need a common Lean vocabulary
- Early-career engineers supporting line performance
Body of knowledge
- Voice of the customer and basic CTQ thinking
- Waste identification in production and support processes
- Process maps, SIPOC, and simple performance metrics
Intermediate
$59
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Positioned for manufacturing and quality professionals running moderate-scope improvement projects with data, team coordination, and measurable shop-floor impact.
Good fit for
- Quality engineers and manufacturing engineers leading focused projects
- Supplier quality professionals solving recurring defects
- Team leads working across production, quality, and operations
Body of knowledge
- DMAIC problem framing and measurement discipline
- Root cause analysis connected to evidence
- Capability, variation, sustainment, and control ownership
Advanced
$89
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
Designed for professionals responsible for larger improvement efforts, stronger project governance, and coaching across manufacturing and quality functions.
Good fit for
- Improvement leaders driving cross-functional initiatives
- Senior quality engineers mentoring project teams
- Operations professionals building internal improvement capability
Body of knowledge
- Project selection tied to business impact
- Stakeholder alignment and sustainment planning
- Coaching and control structures for scaled improvement work
Manufacturing Quality
$49
Quality Engineering Foundations
This credential gives candidates a way to demonstrate fluency in the systems, records, and risk language that hiring managers expect to hear.
Good fit for
- Quality technicians moving toward engineer-track roles
- Manufacturing engineers who need stronger quality fluency
- Early-career supplier quality and process quality professionals
Body of knowledge
- CAPA, nonconformance, containment, and escalation logic
- FMEA, control plans, measurement confidence, and audits
- Evidence-based investigation and practical risk prioritization