SAS Interview Questions
What is SAS? Is a package or tool? give me introduction about SAS?
How to do user inputs and command line arguments in SAS? D&B
How do i read multiple spaces in datasets?
There is a field containing a date. It needs to be displayed in the format “ddmmyy” if it’s before 1975, “dd mon ccyy” if it’s after 1985, and as ‘Disco Years’ if it’s between 1975 and 1985.
How would you accomplish this in data step code? Using only PROC FORMAT
In a school there are 1000 students. After completion of every test in 6 subjects , each subject teacher submit the marks of every student at different times and loaded in the database commonly.
How will you separate the top two subject marks for each student using SAS?
how can you code the confidence intervals?
How will you assign all the variables of dataset into a macro variable separated by a space? For
example if a dataset has variables A,B,C. Assign them to a macro variable X as X=A B C
What is the difference between nodup and nodupkey options?
where will go the observations that were deleted by delete statement?
what is the difference between %put and symbolgen?
what is the difference between compiler and interpreter? give any one example (software
product) that act as a interpreter?
how do we get duplicate observations in a separate dataset?
code the tables statement for a single level frequency?
what has been most common programming mistake?
what is TAB delimiter? explain about it? what will you do to get TAB delimiter?
how to display duplicated observations in a data using base sas.
what is the main difference between rename and label? (don’t say that they both perform the same function).
what is picture format? give any one example?
what are the new features included in the new version of SAS i.e., SAS9.1.3?
what are the advantages of using SAS in clinical data mangement? why should not we use other
software products in managing clinical data?
how do we mail reports from SAS environment to our team leader
what is pdv? how it is related to input buffer in sas?
how we can call macros with in data step?
WHAT DIFFERRENCE DID YOU FIND AMONG VERSION 6 8 AND 9 OF SAS?
How do you debug and test your SAS programs?
What can you learn from the SAS log when debugging?
How do you test for missing values?
How would you create multiple observations from a single observation?
What are some good SAS programming practices for processing very large data sets?
Briefly describe 5 ways to do a “table lookup” in SAS. Why is SAS considered self-documenting?
Are you sensitive to code walk-throughs, peer review, or QC review?
What other SAS features do you use for error trapping and data validation?
How does SAS handle missing values in: assignment statements, functions, a merge, an update, sort order, formats, PROCs?
How could you generate test data with no input data?
What is _n_?
In the flow of DATA step processing, what is the first action in a typical DATA Step?
Name statements that are execution only.
Name statements that function at both compile and execution time.
Identify statements whose placement in the DATA step is critical.
Name statements that are recognized at compile time only?
At compile time when a SAS data set is read, what items are created?
Does SAS ‘Translate’ (compile) or does it ‘Interpret’? Explain.
What is the Program Data Vector (PDV)? What are its functions?
How would you code a merge that will write the matches of both to one data set, the non-
matches from the left-most data set to a second data set, and the non-matches of the right-most data set to a third data set.
How would you code a merge that will keep only the observations that have matches from both sets.
How would you delete observations with duplicate keys?
How would you delete duplicate observations?
Code a PROC SORT on a data set containing State, District and County as the primary variables, along with several numeric variables.
If you have a data set that contains 100 variables, but you need only five of those, what is the code to force SAS to use only those variable?
When looking for data contained in a character string of 150 bytes, which function is the best to locate that data: scan, index, or indexc?
How would you include common or reuse code to be processed along with your statements?
Have you ever linked SAS code? If so, describe the link and any required statements used to either process the code or the step itself.
What is the one statement to set the criteria of data that can be coded in any step?
If you’re not wanting any SAS output from a data step, how would you code the data statement to prevent SAS from producing a set?
If reading an external file to produce an external file, what is the shortcut to write that record without coding every single variable on the record?
What statement do you code to tell SAS that it is to write to an external file? What statement do you code to write the record to the file?
Under what circumstances would you code a SELECT construct instead of IF statements?
What is the purpose of the trailing @? The @@? How would you use them?
How would you code the criteria to restrict the output to be produced?
Name and describe three SAS functions that you have used, if any?
What is the difference between an informat and a format? Name three informats or formats?
If reading a variable length file with fixed input, how would you prevent SAS from reading the
next record if the last variable didn’t have a value?
Are you familiar with special input delimiters? How are they used?
How do you read in the variables that you need?
What SAS statements would you code to read an external raw data file to a DATA step?
What are the criticality that you have faced during your project in SAS?
What do you feel about hardcoding?
Are you involved in writing the inferential analysis plan? Tables specifications?
Describe the function and utility of the most difficult SAS macro that you have written.?
Can you use a macro within another macro? If so how would SAS know where the current macro
ended and the new one began?
Can you execute a macro within a macro? Describe?
If you need the value of a variable rather than the variable itself what would you use to load the
value to a macro variable?
How do you add a number to a macro variable?
What do you feel about hardcoding?
How would you code a macro statement to produce information on the SAS log? This statement
can be coded anywhere?
Describe how you would pass data to macro?
What is the purpose of using the N=PS option?
How do you generate random samples?
How would you generate 1000 observations from a normal distribution with a mean of 50 and
standard deviation of 20. How would you use PROC CHART to look at the distribution? Describe
the shape of the distribution?
How would you keep from overlaying the SAS set with its sorted version?
Which date functions advances a date time or date/time value by a given interval?
What has been your most common programming mistake?
What other SAS features do you use for error trapping and data validation?
Are you sensitive to code walk-throughs peer review or QC review?
How can you put a “trace” in your program?
If you were told to create many records from one record show how you would do this using
arrays and with PROC TRANSPOSE?
Briefly describe 5 ways to do a “table lookup” in SAS?
How would you remove a format that has been permanently associated with a variables?
Why is a STOP statement needed for the point=option on a SET statement?
How would you include common or reuse to be processed along with your statements?
How would you determine how far down on a page you have printed in order to print out
footnotes?
For what purpose(s) would use the RETURN statement?
What is the pound sign used for in the data_null_ ?
what is Business Intelligence?
how can you extract, transform and loading?
how can you import .csv file in to SAS? tell Syntax?
what is the use of proc SQL?
What is SAS/Graph?
How can u create zero observation dataset?
What is the diff. b/w proc means and proc summary?
What is Enterprise Guide? what is the use of it?
How many types of MERGE?
What is SAS/Access and SAS/Connect? what are the uses?
What is the difference between SET and MERGE?
What are input dataset and output dataset options?
What are scrubbing procedures in SAS?
What is fact table and factless table?
What are the validation tools in SAS?
What other SAS features do you use for error trapping and data validation?
What are some good SAS programming practices for processing very large data sets?
How could you generate test data with no input data?
How do you identify a macro variable ?
How do you read binary data in SAS?
Can Some one Explain How the Datasets from SAS can be loaded in to the MVS OS?
Can we replace a dataset into view?
What is the SAS/ACCESS and SAS/CONNECT?
What is the difference between the SAS v8 and SAS v9?
How we will Developing new reports Using Data step programming and Macros ?
In the flow of DATA step processing, what is the first action in a typical DATA Step?
Name statements that are execution only?
Name statements that function at both compile and execution time?
Identify statements whose placement in the DATA step is critical?
Name statements that are recognized at compile time only?
At compile time when a SAS data set is read, what items are created?
Does SAS ?Translate? (compile) or does it ?Interpret?? Explain.
How would you code a merge that will write the matches of both to one data set, the non-
matches from the left-most data set to a second data set, and the non-matches of the right-most
data set to a third data set?
How would you code a merge that will keep only the observations that have matches from both sets?
How would you delete observations with duplicate keys?
Code a PROC SORT on a data set containing State, District and County as the primary variables,
along with several numeric variables?
If you have a data set that contains 100 variables, but you need only five of those, what is the
code to force SAS to use only those variable?
When looking for data contained in a character string of 150 bytes, which function is the best to
locate that data: scan, index, or indexc?
How would you include common or reuse code to be processed along with your statements?
What is the one statement to set the criteria of data that can be coded in any step?
If reading an external file to produce an external file, what is the shortcut to write that record without coding every single variable on the record?
What statement do you code to write the record to the file?
What statement do you code to tell SAS that it is to write to an external file?
What is the purpose of the trailing and How would you use them?
How would you code the criteria to restrict the output to be produced?
Name and describe three SAS functions that you have used, if any?
Are you familiar with special input delimiters How are they used?
How do you read in the variables that you need?
What SAS statements would you code to read an external raw data file to a DATA step?
If you could design your ideal job, what would it look like?
Of all your work, where have you been the most successful?
How do handle working under pressure?
If money were no object, what would you like to do?
Describe the function and utility of the most difficult SAS macro that you have written?
There is a river notoriously known for it’s large crocodile population. With ease, how do you safely cross it?
The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals in the world attend except one.
Which animal does not attend?
How do you put an elephant in the refrigerator?
How do you put a giraffe into the refrigerator?
Do you think professionally?
Can you continue to write code while the rest of the people on the floor where you work have a
noisy party to which you were not invited?
How will you react when, while consulting a SAS documentation manual to get an answer to a problem, someone says hey, I thought you were supposed to know all that stuff already, and not
have to look it up in a book?
Will it bother you if the guy at the next desk times the frequency and duration of your bathroom or coffee breaks on the grounds that ?you are getting paid twice as much as he is?
What is your favorite all time computer book? Why?
What was the last computer book you purchased? Why?
What is the difference between verification and validation?
How do you write a test plan?
How experienced are you with customized reporting and use of Data _Null_ features?
What do you feel about hardcoding?
Are you involved in writing the inferential analysis plan? Tables specifications?
Do you prefer Proc Report or Proc Tabulate? Why?
What techniques and/or PROCs do you use for tables?
Have you been involved in editing the data or writing data queries?
Describe the types of SAS programming tasks that you performed like Tables? Listings?
Graphics? Ad hoc reports? Other?
In SAS how to read the variable values having different formats. eg:mar99,mar1999 (in a single
variable)
How to select the observations randomly from a SAS dataset SAS macros SAS System ?
How to do user inputs and command line arguments in SAS? D&B
How do i read multiple spaces in datasets?
There is a field containing a date. It needs to be displayed in the format “ddmmyy” if it’s before 1975, “dd mon ccyy” if it’s after 1985, and as ‘Disco Years’ if it’s between 1975 and 1985.
How would you accomplish this in data step code? Using only PROC FORMAT
In a school there are 1000 students. After completion of every test in 6 subjects , each subject teacher submit the marks of every student at different times and loaded in the database commonly.
How will you separate the top two subject marks for each student using SAS?
how can you code the confidence intervals?
How will you assign all the variables of dataset into a macro variable separated by a space? For
example if a dataset has variables A,B,C. Assign them to a macro variable X as X=A B C
What is the difference between nodup and nodupkey options?
where will go the observations that were deleted by delete statement?
what is the difference between %put and symbolgen?
what is the difference between compiler and interpreter? give any one example (software
product) that act as a interpreter?
how do we get duplicate observations in a separate dataset?
code the tables statement for a single level frequency?
what has been most common programming mistake?
what is TAB delimiter? explain about it? what will you do to get TAB delimiter?
how to display duplicated observations in a data using base sas.
what is the main difference between rename and label? (don’t say that they both perform the same function).
what is picture format? give any one example?
what are the new features included in the new version of SAS i.e., SAS9.1.3?
what are the advantages of using SAS in clinical data mangement? why should not we use other
software products in managing clinical data?
how do we mail reports from SAS environment to our team leader
what is pdv? how it is related to input buffer in sas?
how we can call macros with in data step?
WHAT DIFFERRENCE DID YOU FIND AMONG VERSION 6 8 AND 9 OF SAS?
How do you debug and test your SAS programs?
What can you learn from the SAS log when debugging?
How do you test for missing values?
How would you create multiple observations from a single observation?
What are some good SAS programming practices for processing very large data sets?
Briefly describe 5 ways to do a “table lookup” in SAS. Why is SAS considered self-documenting?
Are you sensitive to code walk-throughs, peer review, or QC review?
What other SAS features do you use for error trapping and data validation?
How does SAS handle missing values in: assignment statements, functions, a merge, an update, sort order, formats, PROCs?
How could you generate test data with no input data?
What is _n_?
In the flow of DATA step processing, what is the first action in a typical DATA Step?
Name statements that are execution only.
Name statements that function at both compile and execution time.
Identify statements whose placement in the DATA step is critical.
Name statements that are recognized at compile time only?
At compile time when a SAS data set is read, what items are created?
Does SAS ‘Translate’ (compile) or does it ‘Interpret’? Explain.
What is the Program Data Vector (PDV)? What are its functions?
How would you code a merge that will write the matches of both to one data set, the non-
matches from the left-most data set to a second data set, and the non-matches of the right-most data set to a third data set.
How would you code a merge that will keep only the observations that have matches from both sets.
How would you delete observations with duplicate keys?
How would you delete duplicate observations?
Code a PROC SORT on a data set containing State, District and County as the primary variables, along with several numeric variables.
If you have a data set that contains 100 variables, but you need only five of those, what is the code to force SAS to use only those variable?
When looking for data contained in a character string of 150 bytes, which function is the best to locate that data: scan, index, or indexc?
How would you include common or reuse code to be processed along with your statements?
Have you ever linked SAS code? If so, describe the link and any required statements used to either process the code or the step itself.
What is the one statement to set the criteria of data that can be coded in any step?
If you’re not wanting any SAS output from a data step, how would you code the data statement to prevent SAS from producing a set?
If reading an external file to produce an external file, what is the shortcut to write that record without coding every single variable on the record?
What statement do you code to tell SAS that it is to write to an external file? What statement do you code to write the record to the file?
Under what circumstances would you code a SELECT construct instead of IF statements?
What is the purpose of the trailing @? The @@? How would you use them?
How would you code the criteria to restrict the output to be produced?
Name and describe three SAS functions that you have used, if any?
What is the difference between an informat and a format? Name three informats or formats?
If reading a variable length file with fixed input, how would you prevent SAS from reading the
next record if the last variable didn’t have a value?
Are you familiar with special input delimiters? How are they used?
How do you read in the variables that you need?
What SAS statements would you code to read an external raw data file to a DATA step?
What are the criticality that you have faced during your project in SAS?
What do you feel about hardcoding?
Are you involved in writing the inferential analysis plan? Tables specifications?
Describe the function and utility of the most difficult SAS macro that you have written.?
Can you use a macro within another macro? If so how would SAS know where the current macro
ended and the new one began?
Can you execute a macro within a macro? Describe?
If you need the value of a variable rather than the variable itself what would you use to load the
value to a macro variable?
How do you add a number to a macro variable?
What do you feel about hardcoding?
How would you code a macro statement to produce information on the SAS log? This statement
can be coded anywhere?
Describe how you would pass data to macro?
What is the purpose of using the N=PS option?
How do you generate random samples?
How would you generate 1000 observations from a normal distribution with a mean of 50 and
standard deviation of 20. How would you use PROC CHART to look at the distribution? Describe
the shape of the distribution?
How would you keep from overlaying the SAS set with its sorted version?
Which date functions advances a date time or date/time value by a given interval?
What has been your most common programming mistake?
What other SAS features do you use for error trapping and data validation?
Are you sensitive to code walk-throughs peer review or QC review?
How can you put a “trace” in your program?
If you were told to create many records from one record show how you would do this using
arrays and with PROC TRANSPOSE?
Briefly describe 5 ways to do a “table lookup” in SAS?
How would you remove a format that has been permanently associated with a variables?
Why is a STOP statement needed for the point=option on a SET statement?
How would you include common or reuse to be processed along with your statements?
How would you determine how far down on a page you have printed in order to print out
footnotes?
For what purpose(s) would use the RETURN statement?
What is the pound sign used for in the data_null_ ?
what is Business Intelligence?
how can you extract, transform and loading?
how can you import .csv file in to SAS? tell Syntax?
what is the use of proc SQL?
What is SAS/Graph?
How can u create zero observation dataset?
What is the diff. b/w proc means and proc summary?
What is Enterprise Guide? what is the use of it?
How many types of MERGE?
What is SAS/Access and SAS/Connect? what are the uses?
What is the difference between SET and MERGE?
What are input dataset and output dataset options?
What are scrubbing procedures in SAS?
What is fact table and factless table?
What are the validation tools in SAS?
What other SAS features do you use for error trapping and data validation?
What are some good SAS programming practices for processing very large data sets?
How could you generate test data with no input data?
How do you identify a macro variable ?
How do you read binary data in SAS?
Can Some one Explain How the Datasets from SAS can be loaded in to the MVS OS?
Can we replace a dataset into view?
What is the SAS/ACCESS and SAS/CONNECT?
What is the difference between the SAS v8 and SAS v9?
How we will Developing new reports Using Data step programming and Macros ?
In the flow of DATA step processing, what is the first action in a typical DATA Step?
Name statements that are execution only?
Name statements that function at both compile and execution time?
Identify statements whose placement in the DATA step is critical?
Name statements that are recognized at compile time only?
At compile time when a SAS data set is read, what items are created?
Does SAS ?Translate? (compile) or does it ?Interpret?? Explain.
How would you code a merge that will write the matches of both to one data set, the non-
matches from the left-most data set to a second data set, and the non-matches of the right-most
data set to a third data set?
How would you code a merge that will keep only the observations that have matches from both sets?
How would you delete observations with duplicate keys?
Code a PROC SORT on a data set containing State, District and County as the primary variables,
along with several numeric variables?
If you have a data set that contains 100 variables, but you need only five of those, what is the
code to force SAS to use only those variable?
When looking for data contained in a character string of 150 bytes, which function is the best to
locate that data: scan, index, or indexc?
How would you include common or reuse code to be processed along with your statements?
What is the one statement to set the criteria of data that can be coded in any step?
If reading an external file to produce an external file, what is the shortcut to write that record without coding every single variable on the record?
What statement do you code to write the record to the file?
What statement do you code to tell SAS that it is to write to an external file?
What is the purpose of the trailing and How would you use them?
How would you code the criteria to restrict the output to be produced?
Name and describe three SAS functions that you have used, if any?
Are you familiar with special input delimiters How are they used?
How do you read in the variables that you need?
What SAS statements would you code to read an external raw data file to a DATA step?
If you could design your ideal job, what would it look like?
Of all your work, where have you been the most successful?
How do handle working under pressure?
If money were no object, what would you like to do?
Describe the function and utility of the most difficult SAS macro that you have written?
There is a river notoriously known for it’s large crocodile population. With ease, how do you safely cross it?
The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals in the world attend except one.
Which animal does not attend?
How do you put an elephant in the refrigerator?
How do you put a giraffe into the refrigerator?
Do you think professionally?
Can you continue to write code while the rest of the people on the floor where you work have a
noisy party to which you were not invited?
How will you react when, while consulting a SAS documentation manual to get an answer to a problem, someone says hey, I thought you were supposed to know all that stuff already, and not
have to look it up in a book?
Will it bother you if the guy at the next desk times the frequency and duration of your bathroom or coffee breaks on the grounds that ?you are getting paid twice as much as he is?
What is your favorite all time computer book? Why?
What was the last computer book you purchased? Why?
What is the difference between verification and validation?
How do you write a test plan?
How experienced are you with customized reporting and use of Data _Null_ features?
What do you feel about hardcoding?
Are you involved in writing the inferential analysis plan? Tables specifications?
Do you prefer Proc Report or Proc Tabulate? Why?
What techniques and/or PROCs do you use for tables?
Have you been involved in editing the data or writing data queries?
Describe the types of SAS programming tasks that you performed like Tables? Listings?
Graphics? Ad hoc reports? Other?
In SAS how to read the variable values having different formats. eg:mar99,mar1999 (in a single
variable)
How to select the observations randomly from a SAS dataset SAS macros SAS System ?
Can you supply us with the answers?