CSSGB Passing Score Explained: What a Pass Actually Takes
Scaled scores, unscored pretest items and a passing standard that is not a percentage — here is how the CSSGB is actually marked.
- 100Scored items
- 10Unscored
- 258Minutes
Table of Contents
What the passing standard actually is
ASQ publishes the passing standard: 550 out of a possible 750. That is a scaled score, not a percentage. A panel of subject matter experts sets the raw cut score with a modified Angoff study, and later forms are equated so the standard does not move. There is no “get 70% and you pass” rule, and a raw percentage from a practice test does not translate directly into a verdict on the real exam.
The score maths
| Items presented | 110 |
| Items that count | 100 |
| Items that do not count | 10 |
| Passing score | 550 of 750 |
| Average time per item | 2.3 minutes |
Scaled scoring exists so that a candidate who sits a slightly harder form is not punished for it. Raw answers are converted onto a fixed scale, and the conversion moves a little between forms. That is why the certifying body publishes a scale point rather than a question count: the number of items you can afford to miss genuinely is not a constant.
Why some questions do not count
Of the 110 items in front of you, 100 are scored and 10 are pretest items being trialled for future forms. They are not flagged. You cannot tell which is which, and the sensible response is to stop trying — treating a strange question as a possible pretest item is a good way to talk yourself out of answering a scored one properly.
The practical effect is that your effective margin is narrower than the raw item count suggests. Every point has to come from the 100 that count.
What the pass rate tells you
ASQ publishes CSSGB pass rates: 69% in 2022, 76% in 2023 and 77% in 2024. Roughly three candidates in four pass, so one in four still does not. Passing candidates are not told their score; failing candidates can log in and see how many questions they got right and wrong in each Body of Knowledge subtopic. Treat any other percentage you cannot trace to ASQ as decoration.
What this means for your study plan
Three things follow from how this exam is marked.
Stop chasing a percentage. A practice score of 72% is not a prediction, because the conversion between raw answers and the reported scale is not published and moves between forms. What a practice score is good for is finding the domains where you are weak.
Answer everything. There is no negative marking on this style of exam, so an unanswered item is a guaranteed zero where a guess is not. Candidates lose real points to the clock, not to the content.
Work in volume, not in re-reading. Recognition feels like knowledge and is not. The only reliable signal that you are ready is a large number of unfamiliar questions answered correctly under time pressure.
That last part is what a question bank is for. Practise CSSGB questions free, then work the domains your results expose.
FAQ
What is the passing score for the CSSGB?
550 out of a possible 750. It is a scaled score: a panel of subject matter experts sets the raw cut score with a modified Angoff study, and later forms are equated so the standard stays the same. Passing candidates are told only that they reached 550; failing candidates see correct and incorrect counts by Body of Knowledge subtopic.
How many questions can I get wrong on the CSSGB?
Only the 100 scored items count, and the raw-to-scaled conversion is not published, so no fixed number of misses can be quoted honestly.
What is the CSSGB pass rate?
ASQ publishes it: 69% in 2022, 76% in 2023 and 77% in 2024. Figures on forums describe single cohorts, so use ASQ’s numbers rather than theirs.
Do unanswered questions count against me on the CSSGB?
An unanswered item scores zero, and there is no penalty for a wrong guess, so there is never a reason to leave one blank. Watch the clock and make sure every item has an answer before time expires.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the certifying body, not from a third-party summary:
- https://www.asq.org/cert/six-sigma-green-belt
- https://www.asq.org/cert/faq/faq-cert-req
- https://www.asq.org/cert/faq/exam-grading-process
- https://www.asq.org/cert/resource/pdf/certification/ASQ-Certification-Candidate-Handbook.pdf
Checked October 9, 2026. Fees and eligibility rules change; confirm against ASQ before you pay anything.