🏅 Ultimate Guide to SAS Certifications: Base, Advanced, Data Scientist & Clinical Trials Programmer
Are you planning to build a career in SAS Programming, Analytics, or Clinical Research? Getting SAS certified is a powerful way to validate your skills and enhance job prospects across industries like healthcare, finance, retail, and pharma.
In this detailed guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the top SAS certifications:
- Base SAS Certification
- Advanced SAS Certification
- SAS Certified Data Scientist
- Clinical Trials Programmer Certification
Let’s dive in!
🧑💻 Base SAS Programming Specialist Certification
✅ Who Should Take This?
Beginners or professionals who want to start their journey in SAS programming. It’s a foundational certification focusing on data step programming, importing/exporting data, basic reporting, and debugging.
📚 Key Topics Covered:
- SAS programming basics (DATA step, PROC step)
- Reading and writing data
- Combining datasets
- Conditional logic
- Basic statistical procedures
- Data formatting and functions
- Exam Code: A00-231
- Format: 40-45 multiple-choice and short-answer questions
- Duration: 135 minutes
- Passing Score: 725/1000
- Fee: $180 (may vary by location)
- Official SAS e-learning: SAS Base Programming Learning Path
- Books: The Little SAS Book by Delwiche & Slaughter
- Practice exams and sample questions available on the SAS portal.
🧠 Advanced Programming Professional Certification
✅ Who Should Take This?
SAS users who already understand base programming and want to demonstrate expertise in macros, advanced functions, and optimizing code.
📚 Key Topics Covered:
- Creating and using SAS macros
- Advanced DATA step programming
- Error handling and debugging
- PROC SQL and advanced querying
- Creating reusable code
📝 Exam Details:
- Exam Code: A00-232
- Format: 10–15 coding questions
- Duration: 2 hours
- Passing Score: 725
- Fee: $180
📌 Recommended Preparation:
- SAS Advanced Programming Learning Path:
- SAS Advanced Certification Prep
- Practice with real-world datasets
- Use SAS Studio or SAS OnDemand for Academics (free tool)
🧪 Clinical Trials Programmer Professional Certification
✅ Who Should Take This?
Designed for professionals working in clinical research and pharmaceutical domains. You’ll need knowledge of both SAS programming and CDISC standards (SDTM, ADaM).
📚 Key Topics Covered:
- Clinical trials data lifecycle
- Generating TLFs (Tables, Listings, and Figures)
- SDTM and ADaM data models
- FDA submission standards
- Clinical data cleaning and validation
📝 Exam Details:
- Exam Code: A00-282
- Format: 50–60 multiple-choice and short-answer questions
- Duration: 2 hours
- Passing Score: 68%
- Fee: $180
📌 Recommended Preparation:
- Clinical Trials Certification Details
- CDISC standards overview: https://www.cdisc.org
- Use pharma-focused datasets to practice transformations and reporting
🧬 SAS Certified Data Scientist
✅ Who Should Take This?
Mid to senior-level analysts or data professionals who want to master data wrangling, advanced analytics, machine learning, and model deployment using SAS.
🧩 It’s a bundled certification path that includes:
- SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional
- SAS Certified AI & Machine Learning Professional
📚 Key Topics Covered:
- Data exploration, preparation, and visualization
- Predictive modeling and machine learning
- Forecasting and optimization
- Neural networks and natural language processing
- Model deployment and model monitoring
📝 Exam Details:
- Total Exams: 5
- Learning path includes hands-on case studies and labs
- Duration: ~6-9 months with regular practice
- Each exam: 2 hours, scenario-based
💡 Learn More:
- Official SAS Path: SAS Certified Data Scientist
- Free learning access via: SAS Skill Builder Portal
🎯 Which SAS Certification Should You Choose?
| Career Goal | Recommended Certification |
|---|---|
| SAS Programmer | Base or Advanced SAS |
| Data Analyst | Advanced SAS or Data Scientist |
| Clinical Research | Clinical Trials Programmer |
| AI & Machine Learning | SAS Certified Data Scientist |
| Entry-Level Professional | Base SAS Certification |
💼 Job Opportunities After SAS Certification
Earning a SAS certification opens doors to roles like:
- SAS Programmer / Analyst
- Clinical SAS Programmer
- Data Scientist
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Biostatistician
Top companies hiring SAS professionals include IQVIA, Accenture, Pfizer, Novartis, Deloitte, and Infosys.
🎓 Free Tools to Learn SAS
- SAS OnDemand for Academics – Free online SAS environment
- SAS Skill Builder for Students
- Free E-Learning Resources
🔍 Conclusion
Whether you’re beginning your SAS journey or aiming to become a data science expert, SAS Certifications are a globally recognized badge of your expertise. Choose the one aligned with your career goals and get started with SAS’s official resources and training paths.
✨ Stay consistent, practice with real datasets, and join communities like SAS Support or Reddit's r/SAS to boost your confidence.
🔗 Quick Certification Links Recap:
- 🎓 Base SAS Certification (A00-231)
- 📈 Advanced SAS Programming (A00-232)
- 🧬 SAS Certified Data Scientist
- 🩺 Clinical Trials Programmer
Labels :
- Base SAS Programming Specialist – Beginner level
- Advanced SAS Programming Professional – Intermediate level
- Clinical Trials Programmer – Intermediate to Advanced (industry-specific)
- SAS Certified Data Scientist – Advanced level (data science & AI)
Labels: About SAS, Advance SAS, Base SAS, Data Analytics, Datahark, SAS, SAS Certification
posted by Datahark @ July 06, 2025
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