SAS programming 1: essentials question about one question

[Gonshi]

Hello,

I wanted to ask if there is an error in one question in course called: SAS Programming 1: Essentials. In this question (attached) the correct answer are a,b and c. In my opinion it is not correct as in SET statement specifically you can use only a SAS table as a source/input. To use excel, dmbs or other sources, they need to be converted first into SAS table by PROC IMPORT or LIBNAME engine. Is this correct? If not, can I ask for explanation? Thanks in advance.

Best Regards,

MG

[JackieJ_SAS · Accepted solution]

Hi, I agree that the wording of this question is confusing. You are correct that Excel/DBMS files need to be converted into a SAS table by PROC IMPORT or a LIBNAME engine. Also, the SET statement does take only SAS datasets as arguments. Using a LIBNAME engine allows you to directly use data sources other than SAS datasets on the SET statement, since the engine directly converts those files to a SAS dataset. So- the question is asking which data sources can be accessed using a LIBNAME engine. Hope this helps!

[PaigeMiller]

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@JackieJ_SAS wrote:

 So- the question is asking which data sources can be accessed using a LIBNAME engine. Hope this helps!

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I don't read the question that way at all. The question also talks about "SAS tables" and not "SAS data sets", and so this adds another layer of confusion, what (if anything) is the difference between "SAS tables" and "SAS data sets"? The documentation of the SET statement clearly refers to SAS data sets, and so anything that is not a SAS data set seems to me to be not something that the SET statement can work with.

But the people taking the test should NOT have to read between the lines to figure out what the question is really talking about, and the people taking the test should NOT have to assume they know what the person asking the question really means.

[JackieJ_SAS]

@PaigeMiller I completely agree with your comments as related to having clarity on certification exam questions. I will note that this question comes from the SAS Programming 1 course, not from a certification exam. Course questions are meant to make you think, and you do not have to get the questions correct to get credit for the course. I am glad @Gonshi asked for clarification here.