Www Sconsig Com Tipscons List Sas Tech Questions Htm

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List of Actual SAS Technical Interview
Questions
(This idea was initiated by Brian Mayeux)
Answers may or may not be corrrect. What is important is the list of questions being asked and how you
might answer them, what topics are asked, etc.
Please keep names of companies and/or interviewers anonymous to keep this from becoming personal
or even slanderous.
Submit your questions and/or answers to questions you were asked in an actual technical interview by
sending them to Charles Patridge at [email protected] and I will update this list as them
come in. Thank You.
A great paper on this Topic is:
SUGI '24 Proceedings
Training and User Support Services
Paper 307, page 1786-1791
Interviewing and Assessing SAS Programmers
Neil Howard, Independent Consultant, Charlottesville, VA
Abstract
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You are interviewing a candidate with a sharp navy suit, an impressive resume, ten years SAS
experience, who knows his/her strengths and weaknesses and where he/she wants to be in 5
years. But how do you tell if this ten years of experience is really ten years, or the same year
over and over again? If, indeed, past behavior (and/or past job performance) is the best
indicator of future performance, how are we, the SAS community, judging and being judged as
job applicants. What are assessment criteria?
The author developed a survey tool administered to selected SAS programmers and managers
to see if the tricks of our trade can be determined. What techniques are being used to interview
and assess SAS programmers and their productivity? This paper will explore the results of this
survey, looking at details in the following areas: assessing your needs as a hiring entity,
developing probing technical SAS questions, identifying resume red flags, conducting useful
phone interviews, proficiency testing, code walkthroughs, metrics, standards, and quality
control.
Her most current article ("The Ultimate Match Merge: Hiring the BEST SAS Programmers",
SUGI 25) can be viewed here Click Here . This is a PDF file.
Submitted by: Mayeux, Brian C.
Email: [email protected]
Does SAS have a function for calculating factorials ?
My Ans: Do not know.
Sugg Ans: No, but the Gamma Function does (x-1)!
What is the smallest length for a numeric and character variable respectively ?
Ans: 2 bytes and 1 byte.
Addendum by John Wildenthal - the smallest legal length for a numeric is OS dependent.
Windows and Unix have a minimum length of 3, not 2.
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What is the largest possible length of a macro variable ?
Ans: Do not know
Addendum by John Wildenthal - IIRC, the maxmium length is approximately the value of
MSYMTABMAX less the length of the name.
List differences between SAS PROCs and the SAS DATA STEP.
Ans: Procs are sub-routines with a specific purpose in mind and the data step is designed to
read in and manipulate data.
Does SAS do power calculations via a PROC?
Ans: No, but there are macros out there written by other users.
How can you write a SAS data set to a comma delimited file ?
Ans: PUT (formatted) statement in data step.
Submitted by Jack N Shoemaker
Email: [email protected]
1. Have you ever been to any user conferences? If so, which ones? Do you remember any
paper/presentation which stood out? If so, why?
Answers: I use this to gauge experience and level of expertise. 12+ years of SAS experience on
the resume, but no user activity raises red flags. I can understand no SUGI or RSUG for
financial reasons, but it's hard to justify no local meetings.
2. What editor do you use?
Answers: Emacs - hired on the spot. Kedit, UltarEdit, Xedit, vi, ISPF are also acceptable
answers. What I'm looking for is a sense that the candidate can interact with the OS beyond
SAS. Of course, Roger DeAngelis ([email protected]) is a DM bigot, but he has good reasons
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for doing so. With that exception, I feel just using DM displays a lack of intellectual curiosity
about the rest of the OS which, to me, results in low scores.
3. What was your favorite course in high school?
Good Answers: Music, geometry, algebra - in particular word problems, calculus.
Questions submitted by Janet Stuelpner
What is the difference between a FUNCTION and a PROC?
Example: MEAN function and PROC MEANS
Answer: One will give an average across an observation (a row) and the other will give an
average across many observations (a column)
What are some of the differences between a WHERE and an IF statement?
Answer: Major differences include:
IF can only be used in a DATA step
Many IF statements can be used in one DATA step
Must read the record into the program data vector to perform selection with IF
WHERE can be used in a DATA step as well as a PROC.
A second WHERE will replace the first unless the option ALSO is used
Data subset prior to reading record into PDV with WHERE
Name some of the ways to create a macro variable
Answer:
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%let
CALL SYMPUT(....)
when creating a macro example:
%macro mymacro(a=,b=);
in SQL using INTO
Questions submitted by Charles Patridge
1. Question: Describe 1 way to avoid using a series of "IF" statements such as
if branch = 1 then premium = amount; else
if branch = 2 then premium = amount; else
if..... ; else
if branch = 20 then premium = amount;
Answer: Use a Format and the PUT function.
Or, use an SQL JOIN with a table of Branch codes.
Or, use a Merge statement with a table of Branch codes.
2. Question: When reading a NON SAS external file what is the best way of reading the file?
Answer: Use the INPUT statement with pointer control - ex: INPUT @1 dateextr mmddyy8. etc.
3. Question: How can you avoid using a series of "%INCLUDE" statements?
Answer: Use the Macro Autocall Library.
4. Question: If you have 2 sets of Format Libraries, can a SAS program have access to both
during 1 session?
Answer: Yes. Use the FMTSEARCH option.
5. Question: Name some of the SAS Functions you have used.
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Answer: Looking to see which ones and how many a potential candidate has used in the past.
6. Question: Name some of the SAS PROCs you have used.
Answer: Looking to see which ones and how many a potential candidate has used in the past,
as well as what SAS products he/she has been exposed to.
7. Question: Have you ever presented a paper to a SAS user group (Local, Regional or National)?
Answer: Checking to see if candidate is willing to share ideas, proud of his/her work, not afraid
to stand up in front of an audience, can write/speak in a reasonable clear and understandable
manner, and finally, has mentoring abilities.
Interview questions for a SAS data support manager by Ron Fehd of CDC Atlanta GA USA
[email protected]
Question: How would you check the uniqueness of a data set? i.e. that the data set was unique
on its primary key (ID). suppose there were two Identifier variables: ID1, ID2
answer:
1. proc FREQ order = FREQ;
tables ID;
shows multiples at top of listing
2. Or, compare number of obs of original data set and data after
proc SORT nodups
or is that
proc SORT nodupkey
3. use first.ID in data step to write non-unique to separate data set if first.ID and last.ID
then output UNIQUE; else output DUPS;
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Author: Roland Rashleigh-Berry
Email: [email protected]
The following code illustrates the scope of macro variables. If you apply
for a job writing SAS macros you may be quizzed on this so it is useful to
know it.
1 /* RECOMMENDATION: Have global macro variables start and end with an
2 underscore exclusively and then no confusion will ever arise. Declare
3 all other macro variables as local at the start of the macro before
4 using them and then they will never overwrite those of the same name
5 outside the macro. */
6
7
8
9 options nodate nonotes;
10
11
12
13 %*- scope of macro variables examples;
14
15
16 %*- using the same macro variable inside another macro overwrites it;
17
18 %let a=5;
19
20 %macro testa;
21 %let a=99;
22 %mend testa;
23 %testa;
24
25 %put >> a was 5 and now a=&a;
>> a was 5 and now a=99
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26
27
28
29
30 %*- declaring the same named macro variable local preserves its contents;
31
32 %let b=4;
33
34 %macro testb;
35 %local b;
36 %do b=1 %to 10;
37 %end;
38 %mend testb;
39 %testb;
40
41 %put >> b was 4 and now it is still the same b=&b;
>> b was 4 and now it is still the same b=4
42
43
44
45
46 %*- "call symputing" creates a global macro variable if not declared local;
47
48 %macro testc;
49 data _null_;
50 call symput('c',put(9,1.));
51 run;
52 %mend testc;
53 %testc;
54
55 %put >> c was created by a "symput" and it is still defined outside c=&c;
>> c was created by a "symput" and it is still defined outside c=9
56
57
58
59
60 %*- but "call symput" will write to a local macro variable if it is declared;
61
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61
62 %let d=2;
63
64 %macro testd;
65 %local d;
66 data _null_;
67 call symput('d',put(7,1.));
68 run;
69 %mend testd;
70 %testd;
71
72 %put >> d was 2 and it is still the same d=&d;
>> d was 2 and it is still the same d=2
73
74
75
76
77 %*- declaring a macro variable as global will not change its contents;
78
79 %let e=5;
80
81 %global e;
82
83 %put >> e was 5 and it is still the same e=&e;
>> e was 5 and it is still the same e=5
84
85
86
87
88 %*- macro variables created in a macro are local to it only;
89 %*- unless you a) "symput" it in the example previously....;
90
91 %macro testf;
92 %let f=5;
93 %mend testf;
94 %testf;
95
96 %put >> f=&f does not exist;
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WARNING: Apparent symbolic reference F not resolved.
>> f=&f does not exist
97
98
99
100
101 %*- .... or b) declare it as global before you use it;
102
103 %macro testg;
104 %global g;
105 %let g=5;
106 %mend testg;
107 %testg;
108
109 %put >> g=&g exists;
>> g=5 exists
110
111
112
113 %*- but you are not allowed to declare it as global if you have;
114 %*- already used it as local. The following will cause an ERROR;
115
116 %macro testh;
117 %let h=8;
118 %global h;
119 %mend testh;
120 %testh;
ERROR: Attempt to %GLOBAL a name (H) which exists in a local environment.
Author: Girish Patel
Email: [email protected]
Frequently Asked Interview Questions
Several of the frequently asked job interview questions may sound familiar. Although these
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Several of the frequently asked job interview questions may sound familiar. Although these
questions are not technical, they are used to size up the candidate and reveal his priorities and
values.You will find a couple of questions designed for either employees or contractors at the end of
the list. Carefully considering your answers to these questions will provide practice and insure that
your responses are well thought out.
1. Why are you leaving your current job?
2. What do you know about our company?
3. In your current job, what do you like most and least?
4. What are your strengths or strong points?
5. What are your weaknesses?
6. Tell me about yourself
7. Why do you want to work for us?
8. What about this job do you find most and least attractive?
9. Why should we hire you? What do you have to offer?
10. What's your greatest accomplishment in your career?
11. What's the most difficult decision you ever had to make in your career?
12. If I talked to your manager, what 3 adjectives would he/she use to describe you?
13. How do you keep abreast of new developments in Information Technology?
14. What new skills or capabilities have you developed over the past year?
15. How would you describe your work style?
16. Why do you think you would like this position? Company?
17. When can you start work?
18. Do you work best independently or with a team?
19. Why have you changed jobs so often?
20. What is the longest length of time you have worked on one job or project?
21. How do you feel about working overtime?
22. How do you feel about providing on-call support?
23. How long will it take you to learn our environment and start producing?
24. Can you pick up a new skill without formal training?
25. What hours do you prefer to work?
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26. What did you do on your current job yesterday?
For Interviewers to ask Potential Employees
1. What are your short and long-term goals?
2. How long do you plan to work here if you are hired?
3. What new skills or capabilities do you want to develop over the next year?
4. How will employment with us contribute to your career plans?
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
For Interviewers to ask Potential Contractors
1. Have you ever been let go before your contract ended, why?
2. Would you consider a permanent position with us in the future?
3. Why do you want a employee position?
4. Why did you leave a salaried position and start consulting?
Ask the Interviewer questions
It is common for a interviewer to ask do you have any questions? Questions will probably arise
during the course of the interview, nevertheless, it's beneficial to have a couple of pertinent
questions already prepared. At the end of this list, you will find questions appropriate for employees
and for contractors.
1. What are the responsibilities of the job?
2. What qualifications are you looking for to fill this job?
3. Is this position best performed independently or closely with a team?
4. What are the skills and qualities of your best programmer/analyst?
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5. Ask about the system/project described to you:
What phase of the system development life cycle are they in?
Are they on schedule?
Are the deadlines tight, aggressive or relaxed?
6. What qualities and/or skills of your worst programmer/analyst or contractor would you
like to see changed?
7. What would you like to see your newly hired achieve in 3 months? 6 months?
8. How would describe the tasks I would be performing on a average day?
9. How are program specifications delivered; written or verbal? Do I create my own after
analysis and design?
10. How do I compare to the other candidates you've interviewed?
11. How would you describe your ideal candidate?
12. When will you make a hiring decision?
13. When would you like for me to start?
14. When may I expect to hear from you?
15. What is the next step in the interviewing process?
16. Why are you looking to fill this position? Did the previous employee leave or is this a new
position?
17. What are the key challenges or problems I will face in this position?
18. What extent of end-user interface will the position entail?
For Employees to Interviewers
1. What are the chances for advancement or increase in responsibilities?
2. What is your philosophy on training?
3. What training program does the company have in place to keep up to date with future
technology?
4. Where will this position lead in terms of career paths and future projects?
For Contractors to Interviewers
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1. What is the length of this contract?
2. What length of time will this position progress from temp to perm?
3. Is the length of this contract fixed or will it be extended?
4. What is the ratio of contractors to employees working on the system/project?