The SAS - Usage and Concepts assessment is designed to evaluate the ability of job candidates and employees to load, clean, manipulate, and analyze complex data using SAS. The test measures a broad range of skills, including working with the DATA step to read, write, and manipulate SAS data sets, using key procedures such as PROC SORT, PROC PRINT, PROC MEANS, PROC FREQ, and PROC SQL to summarize and analyze data, applying functions for string, date, and number manipulation, and using conditional logic, loops, and arrays to transform and restructure data. It also assesses knowledge of combining data sets through merging, joining, and appending, handling missing values and correcting data quality issues, using formats and informats, writing reusable code with macros and macro variables, and producing well-organized and maintainable SAS code. The assessment includes Multiple Choice, Multiple Correct Answer, and Essay Composition questions, with one or more questions scored using artificial intelligence and one or more questions subject to time limits to help prevent cheating and improve predictive performance. Questions are drawn from a large pool to further reduce the risk of cheating and ensure a fair evaluation of each candidate's true SAS skills.

The specific attributes measured include:

Following completion, the test produces a Candidate Selection Report that includes an overall score and detailed scores for each attribute.

The Candidate Selection Report also provides expert interview questions that help you probe critical or low-scoring areas, along with a guide for noting your evaluation of the candidate's responses. Consistent use of an interview guide is an important part of gaining better candidate insights and making better hiring decisions.

Note that while the SAS - Usage and Concepts assessment is a useful and efficient instrument for confirming a base level of skill or knowledge about this important topic, it is not intended to pinpoint the exact level of candidate or skill. We recommend that skills tests, like this one, be used in parallel with other measurements, such as cognitive ability, job fit, and behavioral history. Each different type of test provides a valuable piece of information you can use when evaluating potential job performance.