Advanced SAS interview questions

1. Describe the types of SAS programming tasks that you performed: Tables? Listings? Graphics? Ad hoc reports? Other?
2. Have you been involved in editing the data or writing data queries?
3. What techniques and/or PROCs do you use for tables?
4. Do you prefer PROC REPORT or PROC TABULATE? Why?
5. Are you involved in writing the inferential analysis plan? Tables specifications?
6. What do you feel about hardcoding?
7. How experienced are you with customized reporting and use of DATA _NULL_ features?
8. How do you write a test plan?
9. What is the difference between verification and validation?
10. What was the last computer book you purchased? Why?
11. What is your favorite all time computer book? Why?
12. Will it bother you if the guy at the next desk times the frequency and duration of your bathroom/coffee breaks on the grounds that ‘you are getting paid twice as much as he is’?
13. How will you react when, while consulting a SAS documentation manual to get an answer to a problem, someone says: ‘hey, I thought you were supposed to know all that stuff already, and not have to look it up in a book!’
14. Can you continue to write code while the rest of the people on the floor where you work have a noisy party to which you were not invited?
15. Can you start on Monday?
16. Do you think professionally?
17. How do you put a giraffe into the refrigerator? Correct answer: Open the refrigerator door, put the giraffe in, and close the door. This question tests whether or not the candidate is doing simple things in a complicated way.
18. How do you put an elephant in the refrigerator? Incorrect answer: Open the refrigerator door, put in the elephant, and close the door. Correct answer: Open the refrigerator door, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant, and close the door. This question tests your foresight.
19. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals in the world attend except one. Which animal does not attend? Correct answer: The elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator, remember? This tests if you are capable of comprehensive thinking.
20. There is a river notoriously known for it’s large crocodile population. With ease, how do you safely cross it? Correct answer: Simply swim across. All of the crocodiles are attending the Lion King’s animal conference. This questions your reasoning ability.
21. Describe a time when you were really stuck on a problem and how you solved it.
22. Describe the function and utility of the most difficult SAS macro that you have written.
23. Give me an example of ..
24. Tell me how you dealt with …
25. How do handle working under pressure?
26. Of all your work, where have you been the most successful?
27. What are the best/worst aspects of your current job?
28. If you could design your ideal job, what would it look like?
29. How necessary is it to be creative in your work?
30. If money were no object, what would you like to do?
31. What would you change about your job?