© Dominion 2003

SAS Certification Made Quick & Easy

Virginia SAS Users Group (VASUG)

03/23/2010

Mehrubon Safaraliev

SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9 ®

Dominion Virginia Power

© 2003 Dominion 2

Agenda

My SAS Experience SAS Certification Exams and Credentials SAS Base Programming Certification SAS Advanced Programming Certification SAS Certified Professionals - Stats Q & A

© 2003 Dominion 3

My story

• Got introduced to SAS in the Summer of 2007

• Continued to learn new tools as I came across a specific problem.

• Main sources for advancing my SAS knowledge & skills:

o Veteran SAS users at Dominion. THANK YOU!!!.

o Product Documentation downloadable in PDF format from Knowledge Base section of www.SAS.com

o GOOGLE.com!

• Received Base Programming “Base Prep Guide” in Aug-09

• SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 since 02-Sep-2009.

• Received Advanced Programming “Advanced Prep Guide” in Oct-2010

• SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 since 04-Feb-2010

• Sharing my experience with SAS Certification with VASUG users as we speak (March’2010)

© 2003 Dominion 4

SAS Global Certification Credentials

SAS FOUNDATION

• SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9

• SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9

SAS ANALYTICS

• SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner 5

SAS ADMINISTRATION

• SAS Certified Platform Administration for SAS 9

SAS Enterprise Business Intelligence (EBI)

• SAS Certified Data Integration Developer for SAS 9 (Beta Exam available)

• SAS Certified BI Content Developer for SAS 9 (in development)

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Retired Certification Tracks

• SAS Certified Base Programmer

• SAS Certified Advanced Programmer

• SAS Certified Professional, Version 8

• SAS Certified Professional, Version 6

• SAS Certified Professional, Advanced

• SAS Certified webAf Developer: Server-side

• SAS Certified Warehouse Development Specialist

• SAS Certified Warehouse Architect

Source: http://support.sas.com/certify/community/logos.html

© 2003 Dominion

SAS Certified Base Programmer Exam

• Exam Overview

• Exam Content

• Study Guides and Resources

• Exam Registration

• Certificate, Logos and Certified Directory

• SAS Certification Web-site

© 2003 Dominion 7

Exam Overview

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. Candidates should be familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS 9.2.

Successful candidates should have experience in programming and data management using SAS 9 and should be able to:

• import and export raw data files

• manipulate and transform data

• combine SAS data sets

• create basic detail and summary reports using SAS procedures

• identify and correct data, syntax and programming logic errors.

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Exam 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.

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Exam Content (cont’d)

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.

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Exam Content (cont’d)

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.

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Study materials and resources

• SAS Certification Prep Guide - (Base Programming for SAS 9)

o Primary resource for exam preparation.

o Easy to follow with plenty of examples.

o Have not used the accompanying CD-ROM. Contains some of the example datasets. Intro to SAS environment.

o Available through amazon.com for about $100

o Table of Contents available at www.amazon.com)

• SAS web site / Support & Training / Certification

• SAS Training offers – instructor-led, self-paced, e-Practice Exams

• To learn more about a specific topic:

o Product Documentation under Knowledge Base section of SAS website

o SAS users - colleagues, SAS user groups, etc.

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Exam Registration - Base• Exams administered by PROMETRIC.

• Register at www.prometric.com/sas

• Exam ID: “A00-211 – SAS Base Programming for SAS 9”

• Exam Fee $180

• The fee is refundable if cancelled/re-scheduled one day before the exam date

• Five convenient exam locations in Richmond & Glen Allen

•70 multiple-choice questions (65% or more correct to pass)

•2 hours to complete exam

•NO ACCESS TO SAS SOFTWARE

• Become SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9

•Next: SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS9

© 2003 Dominion 13

Certificate, Logos and Certified Directory

• Score report at the end of the test

• Congratulation e-mail from SAS Global Certification Program oUsername and Password to SAS Certification Community web site

oAccess to Logos for use in Resume, Business Cards

oOfficial Certificate

• Name added to SAS Certified Professional Directory

• Certification is good for 3 years.

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Certification Resources at SAS.com

SAS Global Certification Credentials– http://support.sas.com/certify/

Certification Brochure– http://support.sas.com/certify/brochure.pdf

SAS Certified Professional Directory– http://support.sas.com/certify/directory/index.hsql

SAS Certified Community– http://support.sas.com/certify/community/logos.html

© 2003 Dominion 4

© 2003 Dominion

SAS Certified Advanced Programmer Exam

• Exam Registration

• Exam Overview

• Exam Content

• Study Guide

• Certificate, Logos, etc

• SAS Certification Web-site

© 2003 Dominion 16

Overview

The candidate must currently hold a SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 credential.

A SAS advanced programmer should have current SAS programming and data management experience. Successful candidates should be skilled in tasks such as:

• using advanced DATA step programming statements and efficiency techniques to solve complex problems

• writing and interpreting SAS SQL code

• creating and using the SAS MACRO facility.

Candidates should be familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS 9.2.

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Exam Topics 1 – Accessing Data using SQL

• Generate detail reports by working with a single table, joining tables, or using set operators in the SQL procedure.

• Generate summary reports by working with a single table, joining tables, or using set operators in the SQL procedure.

• Construct sub-queries and in-line views within an SQL procedure step.

• Compare solving a problem using the SQL procedure versus using traditional SAS programming techniques.

• Access Dictionary Tables using the SQL procedure.

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Exam Topics 2 – Macro Processing

• Create and use user-defined and automatic macro variables within the SAS Macro Language.

• Automate programs by defining and calling macros using the SAS Macro Language.

• Understand the use of macro functions.

• Use various system options that are available for macro debugging and displaying values of user-defined and automatic macro variables in the SAS log.

• Create data-driven programs using SAS Macro Language.

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Exam Topics 3 – Advanced Programming Techniques

• Demonstrate the use of advanced data look-up techniques such as array processing, hash objects, formats, and combining/merging data.

• Reduce I/O by controlling the space required to store SAS data sets using compression techniques, length statements, or eliminating variables and observations.

• Reduce programming time by developing reusable SAS programs which incorporate data step views, DATA steps that write SAS programs, and the FCMP procedure.

• Perform effective benchmarking by using the appropriate SAS System options and interpreting the resulting resource utilization statistics.

• Determine the resources used by the SORT procedure and avoid unnecessary sorts by using appropriate indexes, data set options, BY statement options, and the CLASS statement.

• Identify appropriate applications for using indexes and create them using the DATA step, the DATASETS procedure, or the SQL procedure.

• Compare techniques to eliminate duplicate data using the DATA step, the SORT procedure, and the SQL procedure.

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Study materials and resources

• SAS Certification Prep Guide - (Advanced Programming)

o More details in the next few slides

• My notes in MS Word format and SAS Code to practice skills

o To get a copy, send me your e-mail address

• SAS Training offers – instructor-led, self-paced, e-Practice Exams

• To learn more about a specific topic:

o Product Documentation under Knowledge Base section of SAS website

o Google.com

o SAS users - colleagues, SAS user groups, etc.

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SAS Certification Prep Guide (Advanced)

• See the next slides for brief table of contents

o More details in the next few slides

• Accompanying CD-ROM

o The CD-ROM does not include example datasets

o CD-ROM contains a navigable PDF book with

Chapter Summaries

Syntax

Sample Programs

End-of-chapter Quizzes and Answer Key

• Example datasets

o All of the example datasets come with the SAS software, found under SASUSER library

o Only a few example datasets not available in Learner’s edition

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Advanced Prep Guide – Table of ContentsPart 1 SQL Processing with SAS

• Chapter 1 Performing Queries Using PROC SCL

• Chapter 2 Performing Advanced Queries Using PROC SQL

• Chapter 3 Combining Tables Horizontally Using PROC SQL

• Chapter 4 Combining Tables Vertically Using PROC SQL

• Chapter 5 Creating and Managing Tables Using PROC SQL

• Chapter 6 Creating and Managing Indexes Using PROC SQL

• Chapter 7 Creating and Managing Views Using PROC SQL

• Chapter 8 Managing Processing Using PROC SQL

Part 2 SAS Macro Language

• Chapter 9 Introducing Macro Variables

• Chapter 10 Processing Macro Variables at Execution Time

• Chapter 11 Creating and Using Macro Programs

• Chapter 12 Storing Macro Programs

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Advanced Prep Guide – Table of ContentsPart 3 Advanced SAS Programming Techniques

• Chapter 13 Creating Samples and Indexes

• Chapter 14 Combining Data Vertically

• Chapter 15 Combining Data Horizontally

• Chapter 16 Using Lookup Tables to Match Data

• Chapter 17 Formatting Data

• Chapter 18 Modifying SAS Data Sets and Tracking Changes

Part 4 Optimizing SAS Programs

• Chapter 19 Introduction to Efficient SAS Programming

• Chapter 20 Controlling Memory Usage

• Chapter 21 Controlling Data Storage Space

• Chapter 22 Utilizing Best Practices

• Chapter 23 Selecting Efficient Sorting Strategies

• Chapter 24 Querying Data Efficiently

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Certificate, Logos, etc

• Score report at the end of the test

• Congratulation e-mail from SAS Global Certification Program oUsername and Password to SAS Certification Community web site

oAccess to Logos for use in Resume, Business Cards

oOfficial Certificate

• Name added to SAS Certified Professional Directory

• Certification good for 3 years.

• To Re-new, just re-take the Advanced Certification Test

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Exam Registration - Advanced

• Base Programmer Certification is a pre-requisite

• Follow steps outlined under Base Program Exam Registration

• Exam : “A00-212 – SAS Advanced Programming for SAS 9”

• Exam Fee $180

• 63 multiple-choice questions (65% or more correct to pass)

• 2 hours to complete exam

• NO ACCESS TO SAS SOFTWARE

• Become SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9

SAS Certified Professionals - Stats

© 2003 Dominion 27

Contacts

For more information contact:

Mehrubon Safaraliev

c/o Dominion Virginia Power

701 E Cary Str, 18th Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

Mehrubon.Safaraliev@dom.com

© 2003 Dominion 28© Dominion 2003

Questions?