Sitting for a performance-based exam can be a challenging experience. During your exam, coding challenges are presented and you write SAS programs to answer questions about your results. These questions are then scored to determine your grade. Straightforward, but in a timed, high-stakes exam environment, we know that this can be stressful. Here are a few strategies to help you get through the exam as calmly as possible.
For starters, please review the information on our exam website, which includes a short, 5 minute introductory video to explain the exam environment.
Next, check out this 10 minute video from the SAS User Channel. I walk you through an example coding challenge, write some code, troubleshoot it, and answer a couple of exam questions.
With the basics out of the way, here are a few more tips:
- I'm not going to go over specific content, but please be sure to review the exam content guide and be familiar with ALL the topics. There are some projects on the exam that aren't difficult, but if you have gaps in your knowledge, they can use more clock time than is necessary.
- I said I wasn't going to get into specific content. I lied. One pointer from the content guide: You must be able to create a SAS library with a LIBNAME statement. You are going to have a bad time if you can't do this one thing.
- The source data sets are write protected. This is to save you from yourself and ensure that you don't corrupt the source data. So don't be surprised when you can't edit the original data sets. You are going to have to save sorted/edited data somewhere else (which is explained within the exam).
- Stay organized. There are instructions in the exam to save each program you write before moving to the next project. Do this. Writing all of your code in one big file may feel like a time saver, but it's not. As you build up code, it gets difficult to manage and submit sections and things get all gummed up - causing more stress. Save the program, take a breath, and then start a new file for the next project.
- Keep an eye on the clock. I think that we as programmers can't let go of a half-finished program, or one that keeps spitting errors. It is in our DNA to keep at it. But during an exam, it is better to get the points where you can. You can mark the questions for review or skip them. Either way, these marked/skipped items will show on the "Review" page before your exam ends and and you can go back later. If you are making progress, great. If not, time to skip to the next project.
The practice exam is currently available at no cost, and there is also an On Demand webinar How to Prepare for the SAS® Programming Specialist Exam to help you with your studying.
I hope that you find these tips helpful during your exam preparation. Make sure that you practice writing SAS programs, and good luck on your exam.
