SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 credential

The SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 credential is the ideal certification for those relatively new to SAS programming or new to SAS certification. It is also the principle certification for other advanced certifications available from SAS Institute.

A SAS Base programmer should have current SAS programming and data management experience. The successful candidate should be experienced in tasks such as

• importing and exporting raw data files
• manipulating and transforming data
• combining SAS data sets
• creating basic detail and summary reports using SAS procedures
• identifying and correcting data syntax and programming logic errors.

Candidates who earn this credential will have earned a passing score on the SAS Base Programming for SAS 9 exam.

• 70 multiple-choice questions (must achieve score of 65% correct to pass)
• 2 hours to complete exam

Audience

A SAS Base programmer should have current SAS programming experience 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. Candidates should also be familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS 9.2.

Test Content

Accessing Data

• Use FORMATTED and LIST 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.
• Access an Excel workbook.

Creating Data Structures

• Create temporary and permanent SAS data sets.
• Create and manipulate SAS date values.
• Export data to create standard and comma-delimited raw data files.

Managing Data

• Investigate SAS data libraries using base SAS utility procedures.
• Sort observations in a SAS data set.
• 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.
• Validate and clean data.

Generating Reports

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

Handling Errors

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

Source Link - http://support.sas.com/certify/creds/bp.html