SAS Certified Specialist: Base Programming for SAS Viya — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is data transformation in the context of data preparation?

Sorting data in descending order.
Converting data into a standard format (Correct answer)
Deleting unnecessary data.
Adding new variables randomly.

Correct answer: Converting data into a standard format

Data transformation in data preparation refers to the process of converting raw data from one format or structure into another, often a more suitable or standardized one, for analysis. This can involve tasks like normalizing values, aggregating data, creating new variables, or changing data types to ensure consistency and compatibility with analytical methods. It makes data ready for meaningful statistical processing and accurate modeling.

Question 2: What is the purpose of a hypothesis test in statistical analysis?

To estimate the population parameter
To compare two sample means
To determine whether there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis (Correct answer)
To predict the future values of a variable

Correct answer: To determine whether there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis

Hypothesis testing is used to evaluate whether there is enough evidence to support a particular claim or hypothesis about a population.

Question 3: Which ODS statement closes all currently open ODS destinations in a single step?

ODS _ALL_ CLOSE (Correct answer)
ODS ALL CLOSE
ODS CLOSE
ODS DESTINATIONS CLOSE

Correct answer: ODS _ALL_ CLOSE

ODS _ALL_ CLOSE closes all currently open ODS destinations simultaneously, using the SAS convention of underscores around special keywords.

Question 4: What quality assurance measure supports continuing education requirements?

Quality only matters for new practitioners
Quality checks are unnecessary for experienced professionals
Annual review is sufficient
Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards

Ongoing quality assurance through self-assessment, peer review, and standards adherence ensures continuous improvement.

Question 5: What is the foundational principle of safety and compliance in the Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist field?

Avoiding all challenging situations
Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders (Correct answer)
Maximizing personal advancement
Following the easiest path available

Correct answer: Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders

The foundational principles of safety and compliance in Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist center on maintaining competence, integrity, and quality service.

Question 6: In the PROC TABULATE TABLE statement, which operator nests one variable or statistic within another?

Comma (,)
Plus (+)
Asterisk (*) (Correct answer)
Slash (/)

Correct answer: Asterisk (*)

The asterisk (*) in PROC TABULATE nests variables or associates statistics with classification variables within a dimension of the table.

Question 7: In PROC TABULATE, which keyword in the TABLE statement creates an 'All' category row or column that includes totals across all levels of a classification variable?

ALL (Correct answer)
SUM
TOTAL
GRAND

Correct answer: ALL

The ALL keyword in PROC TABULATE's TABLE statement generates an additional category that includes all observations, effectively displaying a total across the variable's levels.

Question 8: What quality assurance measure supports safety and compliance?

Annual review is sufficient
Quality only matters for new practitioners
Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards (Correct answer)
Quality checks are unnecessary for experienced professionals

Correct answer: Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards

Ongoing quality assurance through self-assessment, peer review, and standards adherence ensures continuous improvement.

Question 9: What quality assurance measure supports industry best practices?

Quality checks are unnecessary for experienced professionals
Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards (Correct answer)
Annual review is sufficient
Quality only matters for new practitioners

Correct answer: Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards

Ongoing quality assurance through self-assessment, peer review, and standards adherence ensures continuous improvement.

Question 10: What is the foundational principle of industry best practices in the Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist field?

Following the easiest path available
Maximizing personal advancement
Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders (Correct answer)
Avoiding all challenging situations

Correct answer: Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders

The foundational principles of industry best practices in Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist center on maintaining competence, integrity, and quality service.

Question 11: What is the difference between validation and verification in quality assurance?

Verification is done by the end-users.
Validation is a part of the verification process.
Verification ensures compliance with the design, while validation ensures it meets user needs. (Correct answer)
Validation is conducted after verification.

Correct answer: Verification ensures compliance with the design, while validation ensures it meets user needs.

Verification ensures the product was built according to specifications, while validation ensures the product meets the end-user's needs and requirements.

Question 12: What is the function of 'PROC PRINT' in SAS?

It performs statistical analysis.
It prints the contents of a dataset. (Correct answer)
It sorts the dataset.
It merges two datasets.

Correct answer: It prints the contents of a dataset.

The 'PROC PRINT' step is used to display the contents of a dataset in SAS.

Question 13: What is the primary purpose of the ODS TRACE ON statement?

To debug macro variable resolution in output
To monitor procedure CPU and memory usage
To trace DATA step execution line by line
To identify the names and paths of ODS output objects written to the log (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To identify the names and paths of ODS output objects written to the log

ODS TRACE ON writes the names, labels, and paths of ODS output objects to the SAS log, helping identify objects for use with ODS OUTPUT or ODS SELECT.

Question 14: What quality assurance measure supports applied methods and techniques?

Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards (Correct answer)
Annual review is sufficient
Quality only matters for new practitioners
Quality checks are unnecessary for experienced professionals

Correct answer: Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards

Ongoing quality assurance through self-assessment, peer review, and standards adherence ensures continuous improvement.

Question 15: In PROC REPORT, which construct is used to define computed variables and perform calculations within a report?

COLUMN statement
CALCULATE statement
DEFINE statement with COMPUTED usage
COMPUTE block (Correct answer)

Correct answer: COMPUTE block

The COMPUTE block in PROC REPORT defines computed variables and performs calculations, executing once per row or group break in the report.

Question 16: In PROC REPORT, the DEFINE statement with the GROUP usage creates output where:

Variable values are displayed across multiple columns
Each observation appears on a separate row
Observations with the same value are consolidated into one row (Correct answer)
Aggregate statistics are calculated without grouping

Correct answer: Observations with the same value are consolidated into one row

The GROUP usage in a DEFINE statement consolidates all observations sharing the same variable value into a single row, similar to a BY-group summary.

Question 17: How would you create a new variable in a SAS 'DATA' step?

newvar = 'value';
newvar = oldvar + 10;
all of the above. (Correct answer)
newvar = oldvar;

Correct answer: all of the above.

This question tests knowledge of adding variables in the 'DATA' step.

Question 18: In PROC REPORT, a spanning header over multiple adjacent columns is created by:

Enclosing column names in parentheses with a label in the COLUMN statement (Correct answer)
Using the HEADER= option in the PROC REPORT statement
Defining an ACROSS variable that spans the columns
Using the SPAN option in the DEFINE statement

Correct answer: Enclosing column names in parentheses with a label in the COLUMN statement

In PROC REPORT, enclosing column names in parentheses within the COLUMN statement and assigning a label creates a spanning header over those grouped columns.

Question 19: What is the importance of data validation in statistical analysis?

It ensures data follows a correct format.
It helps identify and correct errors before analysis (Correct answer)
It increases the data size.
It makes data processing faster.

Correct answer: It helps identify and correct errors before analysis

Data validation is the process of checking the accuracy and quality of data as it is entered or processed. Its importance lies in identifying and rectifying errors, inconsistencies, or outliers in the dataset *before* statistical analysis begins. This proactive approach prevents flawed data from leading to incorrect or misleading analytical results, ensuring the reliability of subsequent findings.

Question 20: What does ODS stand for in SAS?

Online Data Service
Output Delivery System (Correct answer)
Organized Data Structure
Output Data System

Correct answer: Output Delivery System

ODS stands for Output Delivery System, which controls how SAS procedure output is formatted and delivered to various destinations.

Question 21: What ethical standard governs applied methods and techniques practice?

Adherence to the profession's code of ethics and applicable laws and regulations (Correct answer)
Ethics only apply in academic settings
Ethical standards are optional for certified professionals
Ethics are personal opinions, not professional requirements

Correct answer: Adherence to the profession's code of ethics and applicable laws and regulations

Professional ethics codes and applicable laws provide the framework for ethical practice in every professional field.

Question 22: What is the foundational principle of communication and documentation in the Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist field?

Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders (Correct answer)
Following the easiest path available
Maximizing personal advancement
Avoiding all challenging situations

Correct answer: Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders

The foundational principles of communication and documentation in Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist center on maintaining competence, integrity, and quality service.

Question 23: How should professionals apply core concepts and principles in daily practice?

Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work (Correct answer)
Apply principles selectively based on convenience
Follow standards only for complex tasks
Only when being evaluated

Correct answer: Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work

Consistent application of professional standards ensures quality outcomes and builds professional credibility.

Question 24: Which of the following is an example of a validation technique in software development?

Code reviews.
User acceptance testing (UAT) (Correct answer)
Unit testing.
Performance testing.

Correct answer: User acceptance testing (UAT)

Validation techniques ensure that the software works as intended from the end-user's perspective.

Question 25: How should professionals apply safety and compliance in daily practice?

Apply principles selectively based on convenience
Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work (Correct answer)
Follow standards only for complex tasks
Only when being evaluated

Correct answer: Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work

Consistent application of professional standards ensures quality outcomes and builds professional credibility.

Question 26: Why is data normalization important in statistical analysis?

It removes outliers from data.
It standardizes data for meaningful comparisons (Correct answer)
It increases data variability.
It reduces the need for data validation.

Correct answer: It standardizes data for meaningful comparisons

Normalization ensures that the data has a consistent range, making it easier to compare different data sets.

Question 27: What ethical standard governs safety and compliance practice?

Ethics only apply in academic settings
Ethics are personal opinions, not professional requirements
Ethical standards are optional for certified professionals
Adherence to the profession's code of ethics and applicable laws and regulations (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Adherence to the profession's code of ethics and applicable laws and regulations

Professional ethics codes and applicable laws provide the framework for ethical practice in every professional field.

Question 28: How should professionals apply assessment and evaluation in daily practice?

Only when being evaluated
Follow standards only for complex tasks
Apply principles selectively based on convenience
Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work

Consistent application of professional standards ensures quality outcomes and builds professional credibility.

Question 29: What is the foundational principle of continuing education requirements in the Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist field?

Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders (Correct answer)
Avoiding all challenging situations
Maximizing personal advancement
Following the easiest path available

Correct answer: Maintaining competence, integrity, and service to stakeholders

The foundational principles of continuing education requirements in Certified Statistical Analysis System Specialist center on maintaining competence, integrity, and quality service.

Question 30: What is the primary objective of data management in statistical analysis?

To reduce data usage.
To ensure data privacy.
To make the data available for archiving.
To ensure data integrity and accuracy (Correct answer)

Correct answer: To ensure data integrity and accuracy

Data management in statistical analysis focuses on organizing, storing, and maintaining data in a way that preserves its quality. The primary objective is to ensure data integrity, meaning the data is complete, consistent, and reliable, and accuracy, meaning it correctly reflects the real-world phenomena it represents. This foundation of high-quality data is critical for drawing valid and trustworthy statistical conclusions.

Question 31: In the PROC TABULATE TABLE statement, which operator separates the row expression from the column expression?

Plus (+)
Asterisk (*)
Slash (/)
Comma (,) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Comma (,)

The comma (,) in the TABLE statement separates table dimensions: the first comma separates the page dimension from rows, and the second separates rows from columns.

Question 32: Which of the following SAS procedures is used for descriptive statistics?

PROC SQL.
PROC MEANS. (Correct answer)
PROC PRINT.
PROC UNIVARIATE.

Correct answer: PROC MEANS.

This question checks knowledge of procedures used for descriptive statistics in SAS.

Question 33: Which option in the PROC PRINT statement suppresses the display of observation numbers in the output?

NONUMBER
SUPPRESS
NOOBS (Correct answer)
NONUM

Correct answer: NOOBS

The NOOBS option in PROC PRINT suppresses the 'Obs' column that displays sequential observation numbers in the output.

Question 34: Which tool is commonly used in data preparation for statistical analysis?

Spreadsheet software only.
Database management systems like SQL (Correct answer)
Presentation software.
Image processing tools.

Correct answer: Database management systems like SQL

Database management systems (DBMS) like those using SQL (Structured Query Language) are powerful tools for managing, querying, and manipulating large datasets. They are commonly used in data preparation to extract, filter, clean, and transform data from various sources into a structured format suitable for statistical analysis. While spreadsheet software can be used for smaller tasks, DBMS are essential for complex and large-scale data preparation workflows.

Question 35: How should professionals apply continuing education requirements in daily practice?

Only when being evaluated
Follow standards only for complex tasks
Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work (Correct answer)
Apply principles selectively based on convenience

Correct answer: Consistently integrate best practices into every aspect of professional work

Consistent application of professional standards ensures quality outcomes and builds professional credibility.

Question 36: Which of the following is a commonly used method for handling missing data in statistical analysis?

Data scaling
Extrapolation
Random sampling
Imputation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Imputation

There are several methods to handle missing data, including imputation and deletion methods.

Question 37: What quality assurance measure supports professional standards and ethics?

Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards (Correct answer)
Quality checks are unnecessary for experienced professionals
Quality only matters for new practitioners
Annual review is sufficient

Correct answer: Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards

Ongoing quality assurance through self-assessment, peer review, and standards adherence ensures continuous improvement.

Question 38: What quality assurance measure supports communication and documentation?

Annual review is sufficient
Quality checks are unnecessary for experienced professionals
Quality only matters for new practitioners
Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Regular self-assessment, peer review, and adherence to established standards

Ongoing quality assurance through self-assessment, peer review, and standards adherence ensures continuous improvement.

Question 39: How do you check for missing values in a dataset in SAS?

Using the 'IF' statement.
None of the above.
Using the 'IS MISSING' function. (Correct answer)
Using the 'MISSING' function.

Correct answer: Using the 'IS MISSING' function.

This question checks knowledge of identifying missing values in a dataset.

Question 40: What role does data cleaning play in the data analysis process?

It reduces the size of the data set.
It makes data easier to interpret (Correct answer)
It increases the speed of analysis.
It ensures data is stored securely.

Correct answer: It makes data easier to interpret

Data cleaning is crucial for removing incorrect, incomplete, or irrelevant data, ensuring quality results.

SAS Certified Specialist: Base Programming for SAS Viya

This exam certifies individuals in the foundational skills of SAS programming, including data manipulation, reporting, and error handling, using SAS Viya.

Questions

105 min

Time Limit

65%

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