topic Re: Trying to improve in SAS in SAS Programming

Trying to improve in SAS

hjinp — Fri, 15 May 2020 22:27:05 GMT

Hello,

I am a graduate student who recently finished up an Introduction to Statistical Computing course which covers most of what is on the SAS Base Programming Exam Guide. However, I would like to gain a better understanding and to practice more of the basic concepts in SAS while working my way towards taking the Clinical Trials Certification test. Does anyone have any recommendations for starting out in SAS? What books, tutorials or study methods helped you? Thank you!

-hjinp

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

ChrisNZ — Sat, 16 May 2020 02:18:10 GMT

There are many tutorials on the sas website, and some courses are free for a limited time.

See https://www.sas.com/en_nz/training/offers/free-training.html

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

ed_sas_member — Sat, 16 May 2020 06:58:45 GMT

Hi @hjinp

You can get more familiar with SAS programming by using the SAS® Certified Professional Prep Guide: Advanced Programming Using SAS® 9.4. It is a great book to learn useful techniques / procedures such as PROC SQL, macro language, arrays and advanced programming techniques.

As the clinical trials programmer certification focuses on clinical trials process, accessing, managing and transforming clinical trials data, statistical procedures and macro programming, reporting clinical trials results and validating clinical trial data reporting, I would suggest that your reinforce your skills on SAS reporting (proc print, proc tabulate, proc report, ODS tips) as it is not covered at all by the "Base" nor the "ADVANCED" preparation, and it is an important part of the clinical programmer job. There is an e-learning on this topic (e.g. SAS Report Writing 1 - Essentials) and also some dedicated books (e.g. PROC TABULATE by Example, Second Edition; Carpenter's Complete Guide to the SAS® REPORT Procedure).

There are also some industry-focused books (cf. one on the pharmaceutical industry and 2 or 3 on clinical trials) which will give you meaningful examples.

Hope this helps and best of luck for your certification!

Best,

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

Reeza — Sat, 16 May 2020 07:17:17 GMT

Try answering questions on here. Doesn’t have to use super complicated techniques. But spend an hour every so often going through a question and seeing the different solutions and trying to think of ways you can solve it. It teaches you how to use the documentation, set up a problem that’s clear and let’s you know what’s possible.

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

hjinp — Sat, 16 May 2020 14:17:31 GMT

Thank you! I'll definitely focus on those parts for the clinical trials test 🙂

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

hjinp — Sat, 16 May 2020 14:17:54 GMT

Thank you! This is a great idea 🙂

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

hjinp — Sat, 16 May 2020 14:18:32 GMT

Thanks so much!

Re: Trying to improve in SAS

AllanBowe — Sat, 16 May 2020 20:20:55 GMT

Bit of a biased post as we built the site, but https://sasensei.com is geared towards those who already have some SAS knowledge and would like to build on those basic concepts. There are plenty of Stats questions but not so many on Clinical Trials mind..