What Positive Change SAS Certification Can Bring To Your Career

What started as an agricultural analysis mission at North Carolina State College changed into a full-fledged software program and providers firm by 1976. Since its beginnings within the fields, because it had been, SAS has gone on to develop a strong customer base within the banking and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to in academia and at quite a few businesses in any respect ranges of government. It's great three competitors, based on Hoover's Inc., are IBM, Oracle, and SAP SE.

For a reason from the firm's inception, SAS senior administration has fostered a tradition that balances work and private life and encourages staff to take management positions, leading to recognition year after year as top-of-the-line locations to work by organizations equivalent to Fortune and the Nice Place to Work Institute. Coming in at quantity 4, SAS made its twelfth look in Fortune journal's great ten listing of finest firms to work for in 2015. The corporate's little turnover charge (lower than 5% in 2015 in comparison with a business common of 16%) is an indicator of its dedication to its workers and, not directly, to its clients as accurately.

SAS Certification Program Overview

SAS has awarded over 75,000 certifications for the reason that program's introduction in 1999. The SAS Global Certification Program at present gives eleven credentials throughout 5 classes:

• Foundation Tools
• Advanced Analytics
• Business Intelligence and Analytics
• Data Management
• Administration

SAS certifications, together with the required exams and examination prices, are described in additional particulars within the following sections. Though expertise ranges aren't particularly indicated for every certification, an excellent rule of thumb is minimal of eight months of knowledge on the bottom SAS system for Base Programmers and two to a few years of related, hands-on expertise for all different certifications earlier than trying the exams. All reviews are managed by Pearson VUE or an SAS-sponsored certification examination session.

Why Get SAS Certified?

A fast seek for "SAS programmer" on the main job posting websites will return a whole lot, if not hundreds of open positions throughout the USA, most with beginning salaries in a variety from $70,000 to $110,000 USD. More specialized certifications, particularly these involving statistics and modeling, can drive the annual wage to over $130,000.

SAS Foundations Tools Certifications

The Foundation Tools credentials are geared toward analysts, knowledge managers, programmers, and the like whose work days revolve around writing and managing SAS packages. The Medical Trials Programmer credential is more specialized to developers who generate medical trial stories. The next are brief descriptions of SAS Basis Instruments certifications:

• SAS Certified Specialist - Base Programming Using SAS 9.4: The Base Programmer is aware of question databases and carries out analyses, together with importing and exporting uncooked knowledge information, manipulating information, combining SAS knowledge units and creating stories.
• SAS Certified Professional - Advanced Programming Using SAS 9.4: The Senior Programmer have to be an expert in writing higher DATA step programming statements and fixing difficult issues, in addition to deciphering SAS-SQL code and writing SAS macros.
• SAS Certified Clinical Trials Programmer Using SAS 9: This works entirely with scientific trials information, reworking uncooked knowledge into polished, validated studies.

SAS Advanced Analytics Certifications

The Superior Analytics credentials are designed for technical analysts, statisticians, data scientists and the like who collect, manipulate and analyze large knowledge utilizing SAS instruments, run reviews and make enterprise suggestions based mostly on advanced fashions. The certifications on this class embrace:

• SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Business Miner 13: A Predictive Modeler prepares information, after which builds, assesses and implements predictive fashions.
• SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst Using SAS 9 Regression and Modeling: The Business Analyst makes use of SAS software program to carry out statistical analyses and predictive modeling, together with linear and logistic regression, variance evaluation and mannequin efficiency measurements.
• The SAS Certification website signifies two new certifications will probably be accessible in future. One for knowledge scientist and one other for superior analytics. The SAS Certified Data Scientist Using SAS 9 credential targets professionals who manipulate massive information utilizing open supply and SAS instruments, make suggestions and deploy in SAS environments. To acquire the credential, candidates should earn each the SAS Certified Big Data Professional Using SAS 9 and SAS Certified Superior Analytics Skilled Utilizing SAS 9 credentials.

SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9 credential targets IT professionals utilizing predictive modeling and statistical evaluation to research great information. To earn the credential, candidates might want to cross 3 exams: Predictive Modeling Utilizing SAS Enterprise Miner 13, SAS Superior Predictive Modeling (A00-225) and SAS Textual content Analytics, Optimization and Experimentation(A00-226).

SAS Business Knowledge And Analytics Certifications

The Analytics and Business Intelligence credentials are geared for content material builders and analysts who create interfaces and reviews for SAS 9 or who use SAS Visible Analytics routinely. There are two certifications on this class:

• SAS Certified BI Content Developer for SAS 9: The BI Content material Developer focuses primarily on creating, implementing and customizing SAS interface functions (similar to reporting services), together with information administration and dashboard creation.
• SAS Certified Visual Business Analyst: Designing and Exploring Utilization of SAS Visible Analytics: This credential targets analysts who use SAS Visible Analytics, Visible Analytics Explorer, and Visible Analytics Designer so as to add, manipulate, and discover knowledge, and create experiences.

SAS Data Administration Certifications

Analysts, programmers and information managers gravitate to Knowledge Administration credentials if their workdays (or profession aspirations) revolve more around managing knowledge and platforms somewhat than in-depth statistics, evaluation and modeling. The next describe certifications on this class:

• SAS Certified Big Data Professional Using SAS 9: The Huge Knowledge credential is designed for professionals conducting statistical evaluation utilizing SAS and open supply knowledge administration instruments.
• SAS Certified Data Integration Developer for SAS 9: The Information Integration Developer works with information to organize it for evaluation and reporting. This position should additionally know how to outline the platform structure for SAS Enterprise Analytics, also, to creating metadata, remodel knowledge and tables and run jobs.
• SAS Certified Data Quality Steward for SAS 9: The Information High-quality Steward validates abilities of pros utilizing the DataFlux Information Administration Studio.

SAS Administration Certifications

The Administration class has a single credential—the SAS Certified Platform Administrator for SAS 9—designed for professionals who're liable for supporting the SAS Enterprise Analytics platform, from setting up by day-to-day upkeep. This position should know how you can arrange folders, handle consumer accounts, monitor system efficiency, apply safety methods, carry out backups and full different administrative duties.

SAS Training And Assets

SAS affords hyperlinks to SAS classroom and e-learning programs, pattern examination questions and complete apply exams. Check the Examination Preparation tab for every certification on the SAS Certification website. Candidates should purchase certification packages that embody coaching programs, preparation supplies, and examination vouchers with typical reductions of 35 to 40%. Bundle costs differ, starting from $2,650 to over $4,000 USD after modifications are utilized.

The SAS Training and Books net web page gives hyperlinks to certification prep books, coaching programs, e-learning alternatives (SAS OnDemand), and the SAS World Tutorial Program.

Many schools and universities, similar to Philadelphia University, Florida State University and the University of Missouri, to call only a few, additionally supply an SAS certificates program to their undergraduate and graduate college students. For those who're in (or considering of going to) faculty, and are excited by SAS, take a look at your choices.