Mehrubon Safaraliev
Agenda
My SAS Experience SAS Certification Exams and Credentials SAS Base Programming Certification
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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 (March2010)
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Source: http://support.sas.com/certify/community/logos.html
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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
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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.
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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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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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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o Official Certificate
Name added to SAS Certified Professional Directory Certification is good for 3 years.
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Certification Brochure
http://support.sas.com/certify/brochure.pdf
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Exam Content
Study Guide Certificate, Logos, etc
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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
Candidates should be familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS 9.2.
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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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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 Learners edition
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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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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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o Official 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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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
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Questions?
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Dominion 2003