SAS Base Programming Exam

The SAS Certified Base Programmer is responsible for analyzing and presenting data to solve business needs. The SAS Base Programming Exam contains 70 multiple choice questions, 46 of which must be answered correctly to receive a passing score. Candidates are allotted 2 hours to complete this exam.

Audience

A SAS Base programmer should have current SAS programming experience and including the ability to import and export raw data files, manipulate and transform data, combine SAS data sets, create basic detail and summary reports using SAS procedures, and identify and correct data syntax and programming logic errors.

Test Content

Accessing Data

  • Use FORMATTED, LIST and COLUMN input to read raw data files
  • Use INFILE statement options to control processing when reading raw data files
  • Use various components of an INPUT statement to process raw data files including column and line pointer controls, and trailing @ controls
  • Combine SAS data sets using the DATA step

Creating Data Structures

  • Create temporary and permanent SAS data sets
  • Create and manipulate SAS date values
  • Use DATA Step statements to export data to standard and comma delimited raw data files
  • Control which observations and variables in a SAS data set are processed and output

Managing Data

  • Investigate SAS data libraries using base SAS utility procedures
  • Sort observations in a SAS data set
  • Conditionally execute SAS statements
  • Use assignment statements in the DATA step
  • Modify variable attributes using options and statements in the DATA step
  • Accumulate sub-totals and totals using DATA step statements
  • Use SAS functions to manipulate character data, numeric data, and SAS date values
  • Use SAS functions to convert character data to numeric and vice versa
  • Process data using DO LOOPS
  • Process data using SAS arrays

Generating Reports

  • Generate list reports using the PRINT and REPORT procedures
  • Generate summary reports and frequency tables using base SAS procedures
  • Enhance reports through the use of labels, SAS formats, user-defined formats, titles, footnotes and SAS System reporting options
  • Generate HTML reports using ODS statements

Handling Errors

  • Identify and resolve programming logic errors
  • Recognize and correct syntax errors
  • Examine and resolve data errors

 
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