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100+ Free SAS Programming Fundamentals Practice Questions

Pass your SAS Certified Associate: Programming Fundamentals Using SAS 9.4 exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Which INFILE option causes SAS to skip the first row of a file (typically a header)?

A
B
C
D
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Key Facts: SAS Programming Fundamentals Exam

60-65

Exam Questions

SAS official credential page

120 min

Exam Duration

SAS official credential page

68%

Passing Score

SAS official credential page

$120

Exam Fee (USD)

SAS global exam pricing

A00-215

Exam Code

SAS certification registry

The A00-215 exam has 60-65 multiple-choice and short-answer questions in 120 minutes for $120 USD with a 68% passing score. It covers seven areas: fundamental SAS concepts, exploring data sets, DATA step access, DATA step manipulation, PROC reports, utility PROCs, and importing/exporting non-SAS files. Based on SAS 9.4.

Sample SAS Programming Fundamentals Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your SAS Programming Fundamentals exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which SAS interface is the modern web-based programming environment provided by SAS for writing and running SAS code?
A.SAS Display Manager
B.SAS Studio
C.SAS Notepad
D.SAS Console
Explanation: SAS Studio is the browser-based interactive programming environment that runs in a web browser and connects to a SAS server. It includes a code editor, log, results, and navigation panes, and is the recommended modern interface for SAS 9.4.
2Which statement correctly assigns the libref MYLIB to the directory C:\sasdata?
A.FILENAME mylib 'C:\sasdata';
B.LIBNAME mylib 'C:\sasdata';
C.LIBRARY mylib = 'C:\sasdata';
D.ASSIGN LIB mylib 'C:\sasdata';
Explanation: The LIBNAME statement associates a libref (logical library name) with a physical directory location. The syntax is LIBNAME libref 'physical-path';. After this, datasets can be referenced as mylib.datasetname.
3Where does a SAS dataset reside if it is referenced as WORK.SCORES?
A.In a permanent library that survives between SAS sessions
B.In a temporary library that is deleted at the end of the SAS session
C.On a remote SAS server only
D.In the SASUSER library
Explanation: WORK is the default temporary library. Any datasets created without an explicit two-level name go to WORK, and the entire library is automatically deleted when the SAS session ends.
4Which statement assigns a fileref named RAW to an external CSV file?
A.LIBNAME raw 'C:\data\sales.csv';
B.FILENAME raw 'C:\data\sales.csv';
C.INFILE raw 'C:\data\sales.csv';
D.DATA raw; SET 'C:\data\sales.csv';
Explanation: FILENAME assigns a fileref (file reference) to an external file. The syntax is FILENAME fileref 'physical-path';. The fileref can then be used in INFILE or FILE statements.
5Which window in SAS displays NOTE, WARNING, and ERROR messages from program execution?
A.Editor
B.Log
C.Output
D.Results Viewer
Explanation: The SAS Log window contains messages generated during program execution, including notes about successful steps, warnings, errors, and dataset/observation counts. Reading the log is the primary way to verify and debug SAS programs.
6What are the two fundamental data types in a SAS dataset?
A.Integer and float
B.Numeric and character
C.Date and string
D.Boolean and text
Explanation: SAS supports only two fundamental variable types: numeric (used for numbers and dates, since SAS dates are stored as numbers) and character (used for text). All other apparent types like dates are simply numeric values displayed with a date format.
7What is the default length of a numeric variable in SAS?
A.4 bytes
B.8 bytes
C.16 bytes
D.200 bytes
Explanation: By default, SAS stores numeric variables in 8 bytes of storage, which provides about 16 digits of precision. The LENGTH statement can specify a smaller length (down to 3 bytes on most platforms) to save storage at the cost of precision.
8Which automatic variable contains the current iteration number of a DATA step?
A._ERROR_
B._N_
C._TYPE_
D._ALL_
Explanation: _N_ is an automatic variable created by SAS that contains the current iteration of the DATA step's implicit loop, starting at 1. It is not written to the output dataset but is available during execution.
9What value does the automatic variable _ERROR_ take when a data error occurs in the current observation?
A.-1
B.0
C.1
D.Missing
Explanation: _ERROR_ is set to 1 whenever a data error is detected in the current DATA step iteration (such as a conversion error or invalid input). It resets to 0 at the start of each iteration. Programmers can test _ERROR_ to handle bad data.
10Which statement reads observations from an existing SAS dataset into a DATA step?
A.INPUT
B.INFILE
C.SET
D.FILE
Explanation: The SET statement reads observations from one or more SAS datasets into the program data vector. It is the standard way to copy or modify an existing SAS dataset within a DATA step.

About the SAS Programming Fundamentals Exam

The SAS Certified Associate: Programming Fundamentals Using SAS 9.4 (A00-215) is the entry-level SAS programming credential. It validates ability to navigate SAS environments, read and create SAS data sets, manipulate data using the DATA step, generate reports with basic PROCs, and import non-SAS files. Sits below the SAS Base Programming Specialist credential.

Questions

63 scored questions

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

68%

Exam Fee

$120 USD (SAS / Pearson VUE)

SAS Programming Fundamentals Exam Content Outline

10-15%

Fundamental SAS Concepts

SAS environment, libraries, filerefs, DATA/PROC step structure, syntax rules, and the SAS log

10-15%

Exploring SAS Data Sets

PROC CONTENTS, PROC PRINT, variable types, lengths, formats, informats, and labels

15-20%

DATA Step: Access SAS Data Sets

SET, MERGE, UPDATE, BY processing, FIRST./LAST., dataset options KEEP/DROP/RENAME/WHERE

20-25%

DATA Step: Manipulate Data

IF-THEN/ELSE, SELECT, DO loops, RETAIN, sum statement, arrays, functions, missing values

15-20%

Generating Reports with PROC Steps

PROC PRINT, MEANS, FREQ, UNIVARIATE, TITLE, FOOTNOTE, and ODS HTML/PDF

10-15%

Utility Procedures

PROC SORT, PROC CONTENTS, OPTIONS, and basic system management

10-15%

Importing/Exporting Non-SAS Files

PROC IMPORT, PROC EXPORT, INFILE/INPUT (DLM, DSD), and DATALINES

How to Pass the SAS Programming Fundamentals Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 68%
  • Exam length: 63 questions
  • Time limit: 120 minutes
  • Exam fee: $120 USD

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

SAS Programming Fundamentals Study Tips from Top Performers

1Spend the most time on DATA step manipulation (20-25%) - the largest single content area
2Memorize how MEAN/SUM ignore missing while + propagates missing - this is a frequent question type
3Practice INTCK vs INTNX: INTCK counts intervals crossed, INTNX advances by N intervals
4Know PROC IMPORT options for CSV (DBMS=CSV) vs XLSX (DBMS=XLSX) and the GETNAMES default
5Master FORMAT vs INFORMAT and PUT vs INPUT - these are commonly confused on the exam

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the SAS Programming Fundamentals exam?

The A00-215 exam contains 60-65 multiple-choice and short-answer questions, with 120 minutes to complete the test.

What score do I need to pass?

You must achieve at least 68% to pass the SAS Certified Associate: Programming Fundamentals exam.

How much does the exam cost?

The exam fee is $120 USD worldwide. Academic discounts are available for students and educators.

How is this exam different from SAS Base Programming?

Programming Fundamentals (A00-215) is the entry-level Associate credential covering basics. Base Programming Specialist (A00-231) is the next tier and uses performance-based questions for deeper DATA-step proficiency.