Frequently Asked Questions

Which course should I take next?

The curated learning paths in our course catalog provide guidance on which courses to take – and in what order – to meet your career goals. If you’re still undecided, contact us to speak with a curriculum consultant or to chat with an adviser online for additional recommendations.

Where can I find a list of course dates?

Visit our Live Class Schedule to view upcoming course dates. If no locations are nearby, you might consider taking a live web course to get the same instructor-led experience at your own computer.

What is your cancellation policy?

View our registration and cancellation policies for details.

Do I need to bring my own device or computer to class?

Computers are provided in SAS training facilities.

Will printed course notes be provided?

Course materials are delivered electronically. We encourage you to print a copy before class or bring a digital file with you on your device. You’ll receive an email with download instructions before class begins.

Can I earn continuing education credits (CEUs) for SAS courses?

When you successfully complete SAS instructor-based training courses, you earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The CEU, a nationally recognized unit of measurement for continuing education courses, is defined as "10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction".

SAS awards 0.6 CEU units for each full day of classroom or Live Web training or 0.3 CEU units for each half-day Live Web session; therefore, for a training class running three full days or a Live Web course running 6 half-day sessions, you earn 1.8 CEUs.To receive a transcript report of the SAS classes you have taken, please contact trainingbooksupport@sas.com..

What is the difference between classroom training, e-learning and live web?

View our learning formats page for details.

What is a live web connected class?

In a typical live web class, all the students and instructors are remote. In a connected live web class, remote students are connected to a live class at a SAS training center. The instructor interacts with all the students for a seamless experience.

What is the SAS Virtual Lab?

The SAS Virtual Lab allows you to access the software used in class through your web browser. It provides a nonproduction environment for practice and completion of demonstrations and exercises included in the course. Certain live web and e-learning courses include free access to the virtual lab or have access available for purchase. Refer to the Virtual Lab connection test for additional technical details.

What are the system requirements for a live web or e-learning course?

View the live web system requirements and e-learning system requirements for details.

How do I contact live web technical support?     

You can email trainingtechsupport@sas.com.

Do you offer any free e-learning courses?

Yes, we offer several free e-learning courses. Check out our Free Training page.

If I take an e-learning course, will I have opportunities to ask questions of an instructor directly?

An e-learning course enables you to learn at your own pace with the benefit of eliminating travel costs and time away from the office. It does not include the opportunity to ask questions or interact with a live instructor, although you can submit questions via a help option in the course or contact us and someone will get back with you.

How do I activate and access the e-Learning in my subscription?

Read the SAS e-learning activation instructions for details. If you need to troubleshoot an issue, start by reading the general e-learning system requirements. If you do not see the information you need, please email elearn@sas.com.

Can I book a private or on-site course for my group?

Yes, you can schedule a private team training session at your location, ours, or via private live web. The course content can be customized, and you can also add a day or two of individual mentoring to ensure your team is good to go. Learn more about private team training and contact us for a price quote.

Once I've purchased training points, how and when can I begin scheduling classes?

When your order is processed, you’ll receive an email with your SAS Training Points account code. You can use that code to begin scheduling classes immediately.

Once you begin scheduling courses, visit our training page to register online. You can browse and register for courses by location, learning path, job role, SAS product – or view the complete course list. Upon checkout, enter your account number in the space provided. You may also register by phone at 800-727-0025. For private Live Web and in-person training, contact your education account representative.

What is a SAS Training Points administrator, and what are the job responsibilities?

You must designate a representative (SAS Training Points admin) to serve as your main contact for registering employees for training using SAS Training Points. Admins should monitor points usage and communicate SAS Training offerings to the SAS users in their organizations. Admins can also help register their SAS users for public courses and coordinate on-site, private courses.

The admin will also receive periodic communication from SAS, including:

• Monthly account status report of SAS Training Points usage.
• Student registration confirmation e-mails (if requested).
• Quarterly SAS Training News e-mails.
• Access to online account reports.

We encourage SAS Training Points admins to bookmark and visit the Group Training Administrator page and subscribe to the SAS Learning Report – a free, monthly e-newsletter – to stay up-to-date on SAS Training offerings.

If someone new is replacing your current SAS Training Points admin or you want to add a second person to this role, contact your education account representative to update our records.

Whereas one point typically equals one dollar, are there any exceptions?

Yes, there are a few exceptions. They include on-site Business Knowledge Series courses, Certification Bundles, instructor travel expenses, Premium Learning Subscriptions, and third-party training center rental fees. On-site or Private Team Training and related charges for academic customers are another exception. Please contact your education account representative for questions regarding specific pricing on these items.

When do my SAS Training Points expire, and can I extend the expiration date?

SAS Training Points expire in 12 months. Please check with your education account representative if you are unsure of your account's expiration date.

Expiration dates cannot be extended; however, there are several ways to ensure you do not lose your points:

• Contact your education account representative to develop a training plan to allocate all remaining points before expiration.
• Transfer your points to another department or organization that can use them before expiration.

How do I create a plan before beginning?

Your education account representative can work with you to assess your needs and create a training plan. Your rep will:

• Perform a comprehensive training assessment and determine your goals.
• Identify user roles, experience levels and recommended courses.
• Determine the best training delivery methods (public, private training, e-learning, live web or private live web).
• Discuss timelines and logistics.
• Complete a comprehensive training plan for the allocation of your SAS Training Points to ensure you'll use them before they expire, and to help you complete your training goals.

Can I schedule courses globally?

The program you signed up for is US only, but we can make exceptions if the other country agrees that payment may be made with your SAS Training Points. Please be aware that pricing for training varies greatly outside the US, and there is no guarantee of receiving a discount. Contact your education account representative to assist you with this request.

How do I know how many points I have left?

Each month you will receive an email containing your SAS Training Points usage and account balance. If you need to know in the interim, please contact your Education Account Representative or access your reports online. (Please note that the reports are only available for administrators who have opted in to receive the monthly e-mail reports. If you are currently not receiving the monthly reports and would like to start, please contact your education sales representative.)

Whom do I contact to schedule a private live web or in-person training?

Contact your education account representative to coordinate and schedule these methods of training.

Can I use my points for a class that will occur beyond my point expiration date?

No. All training must be completed before the expiration date. Please contact your education account representative as soon as possible if you think you may encounter a problem with using all your points before the expiration date.

Can I get a report on the employees who have taken training and the amount of SAS Training Points used?

Contact your education account representative for a training history report. They will provide you with:

• SAS Training Points start date.
• Invoice number.
• Points expiration date.
• Points usage information, including:
  • Points usage by training method.
  • Points available.
  • Points pending.
  • Points expired.
  • Points canceled.
  • Points adjusted.
• Student information, including:
  • Student name.
  • Course taken.
  • Points used per course.

You can also review your account reports online. Using your SAS profile, log in and view or download an up-to-date account summary and list of account activity. Please note that reports are only available for administrators who have opted in to receive the monthly status email reports. If you are currently not receiving those reports and would like to, please contact your education sales representative.

Can I upload my own data into the Amazon AWS or copy and paste my own code into the SAS editor on the Amazon image?

No, you cannot upload your own data into the Amazon server; we have provided the data for every class. You also cannot paste code from outside of the AWS image into the AWS image.

Do I have to do all the classes on Amazon, or can I do some of the classes on my own machine?

You might opt to do a few classes, like Statistics or Predictive Modeling Using Logistic Regression, on your own computer at work. However, most of the courses for the SAS Academy for Data Science program use software that requires a special image for the advanced software, such as SAS Enterprise Miner and SAS Visual Analytics. It is necessary for you to use the Amazon Virtual Lab for your SAS Academy work.

Can I download the Academy for Data Science class data to my own machine?

No, most of the data used in the data science classes can’t be separated from the metadata and the software image that you need to practice on. It would be impractical for students to recreate our classroom images on their work or home computers. Many of the images are multimachine, multiserver images that require configurations over and above downloading a single ZIP file of data.

How do the reservations on Amazon work?

There are two ways to make your reservation for an image on Amazon.

1. Click to request a future reservation (for example, you get on the VLE at 8 a.m. and request a reservation for 1:30 p.m.) – in this instance, for a future reservation, your Amazon image will be available exactly at 1:30 p.m.
2. Click "Make Reservation." This asks Amazon to retrieve and load the image, which takes 30-45 minutes. If you click this choice at 10 a.m., your reservation will not be ready until approximately 10:45 a.m. This means that it is better to use the first method to make future reservations and avoid the wait time. Or use the second option when you start working. For either method, when your reservation is ready, you will be notified in this window.

What if I make a reservation for three hours, but only use one hour? How many hours total do I lose?

If you work for all three hours of a reservation and your time runs out, the image will be saved and the reservation will end. The next time you make a reservation, you can return to this saved image or start with a new image. There are two options on the reservation window to help you deal with the image. When you are notified that it's ready, you will see a window with some additional cancellation choices.

• Using “Cancel reservation and save servers” stops the reservation and saves the image you were working on. The next time you want to book a server, you can book this saved image and continue working from where you left off. Next time you make a reservation use the Saved Image.
• Using “Cancel reservation and discard server?” stops the reservation. Any changes made to the image during this reservation are discarded.

So what does canceling have to do with the amount of time you have left? To get time back, you need to cancel the reservation explicitly. Both of the above cancel options will give you back any unused time. 

If you book for three hours and use one hour, canceling gives you back two hours. However, if you make a reservation and then do not explicitly cancel the reservation (or terminate the reservation), the whole reservation time will be deducted. So if something happens after you make a reservation and you are not able to use the image, you should quickly log on to the VLE to cancel the reservation and get your time back.

If I purchase multiple programs, can I share virtual lab hours across programs?  

No, your virtual lab allotment is tied to the servers needed for each set of classes. The hours from one package cannot be shared or used in another package. For example, if you don’t use all of your virtual lab hours in the Data Curation program, they cannot be rolled over to the Advanced Analytics program.

What if I have a question about something in the class?

Your first resource is the SAS Communities site for the SAS Academy for Data Science. We have SAS employees and users from around the globe monitoring questions there. Of course, if you have a serious technical support issue (such as a system crash with a fatal error or a problem with the Amazon reservation), you should contact trainingtechsupport@sas.com.

How do I access SAS software for my program?

Access to SAS software is included with the self-paced e-learning program formats. Students can purchase additional lab time if needed.

Are practice exams available?

Yes, students in the self-paced program can purchase practice exams from Pearson Vue. Practice exams are included in the instructor-led classroom format.

What are the system requirements for participating in the self-paced programs?

View the e-learning system requirements.

What is the pass rate for previous Academy attendees?

Due to privacy issues, we do not publish pass rates.

What exam do I need to pass to receive the SAS Certified Data Curation Professional credential?

You must pass a single certification exam, Data Curation for SAS Data Scientists, to earn the SAS Certified Data Curation Professional credential:

If you already have the skills required, you can take the exam without completing the coursework. Get details, including test dates, locations and fees, using the link above.

What’s included with the self-paced e-learning SAS Academy for Data Science Data Curation program annual license?

The program includes 80 e-learning hours plus 80 virtual lab hours. The four e-learning courses include:

• Introduction to Data Curation for SAS Data Scientists.
• SAS Data Management Tools and Applications.
• SAS and Hadoop.
• Advanced SAS Data Management Tools and Applications.

The self-paced e-learning program includes one voucher to take the certification exam. Practice exams must be purchased separately.

License duration for the program is 365 days.

What exams do I need to pass to receive the SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional credential?

You must pass all three certification exams to earn the SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional credential. The three certification exams are:

• Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 14. (Passing this exam earns you an additional certification credential – SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner 14.)
• SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling.
• SAS Text Analytics, Time Series, Experimentation and Optimization.

Already have these skills? You can take the exams without completing the coursework. Get details – including test dates, locations and fees – using the exam links above.

What’s included with the self-paced SAS Academy for Data Science Advanced Analytics program annual license?

The SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional self-paced e-learning program includes 144 e-learning hours plus 100 virtual lab hours. The nine e-learning courses include:

• Applied Analytics Using SAS Enterprise Miner.
• Neural Network Modeling.
• Predictive Modeling Using Logistic Regression.
• Data Mining Techniques: Predictive Analytics on Big Data.
• Using SAS to Put Open Source Models Into Production.
• Text Analytics Using SAS Text Miner.
• Time Series Modeling Essentials.
• Experimentation in Data Science.
• Optimization Concepts for Data Science.

The self-paced e-learning program includes three vouchers to take certification exams. Practice exams must be purchased separately.

License duration for the program is 365 days.

What exams do I need to pass to receive the SAS Certified AI and Machine Learning Professional credential?

You must pass all three certification exams to earn the SAS AI and Machine Learning Professional credential. The self-paced program format requires you to purchase the certification exams separately. The three certification exams are:

• Machine Learning Specialist. (SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner also satisfies this requirement.)
• Natural Language and Computer Vision Specialist.
• Forecasting and Optimization Specialist.

Already have these skills? You can take the exams without completing the coursework. Get details – including test dates, locations and fees – using the exam links above.

What’s included with the self-paced SAS Academy for Data Science AI and Machine Learning program annual license?

The SAS Certified AI and Machine Learning Professional self-paced e-learning program includes 70 e-learning hours plus 70 virtual lab hours. The five e-learning courses include:

• Machine Learning Using SAS Viya. 
• SAS Visual Text Analysis in SAS Viya. 
• Deep Learning Using SAS Software. 
• Forecasting Using Model Studio in SAS Viya.
• Optimization Concepts for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

The self-paced e-learning program includes three vouchers to take the certification exams. Practice exams must be purchased separately.

License duration for the program is 365 days.

What exams do I need to pass to receive the SAS Certified Data Scientist credential?

There are now multiple paths to becoming a SAS Certified Data Scientist. You can find detailed criteria on the Data Scientist Certification page.

What is a digital badge?

Digital badges are web-enabled versions of your earned SAS credentials that you can post online to various social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This digital image will contain verified metadata that describes your qualifications and the process required to earn them.

What are the benefits of a digital badge?

Representing your credential as a badge gives you the ability to share online in a way that is simple, trusted and can be easily verified in real time by colleagues and/or employers. Badges provide employers and peers concrete evidence of the skills needed to earn your credential.

How does my credential get displayed as a badge?

We have partnered with Credly, a badging platform backed by Pearson, to translate the credential you have earned into a digital badge. The technology Credly uses is based on open badge standards defined by Mozilla and enables you to manage, share and verify your credential digitally.

What is Credly? Is there a fee for using it?

Credly is an enterprise-class Open Badge platform that works with credible organizations to provide digital credentials to individuals. Using Credly to manage, share and verify your credentials is free to badge-earners.

Are digital badges included with SAS e-Learning?

SAS Learn badges are provided upon the completion of most e-Learning courses. However, digital badges are not offered with self-study e-Learning products (PDF + virtual lab hours).

How will I know if I have earned a badge?

You will receive an email notification from admin@credly.com with instructions for claiming your badge and setting up your account. You will then be able to manage, share and verify your certification.

If I don’t receive my badge, what should I do?

Contact elearn@sas.com, and be sure to add admin@credly.com to your email's safe sender list. Please note that Learn badges are not offered with self-study e-Learning products (PDF + virtual lab hours).

How can I keep someone else from copying my badge and using it?

While badges are digital image files, they are uniquely linked to data hosted on the Credly platform. The link to verified data makes the badge more reliable and secure than a traditional paper-based credential. It also eliminates the possibility of anyone claiming your credential and associated identity.

What if I don't want my credential to be public?

All information regarding you and your credentials can be easily configured in your Credly account. You are in complete control of the information about yourself that is made public.

Will I still have access to my existing certification logos?

Yes. SAS Global Certification still provides logos for all existing certifications through the SAS Certification Manager.

What are labor market insights, and how can I access them through Credly to find jobs relevant to my skill set?

Labor market insights contain information pulled from active requisitions across the US and are for informational purposes only. Based on your skills, you can learn which employers are hiring, what job titles you might be qualified for, salary ranges for those jobs and more. To access this information, click on any of the skill tags of badges you've earned. Credly is working to provide more information globally in the future.

Can my Credly profile include badges that have been issued to me from other platforms/companies? Can I export badges issued from Credly to other badge-storing platforms/companies?

Credly does not support uploading of badges issued by other platforms/companies, and it is not possible to export badges at this time. The current open badge infrastructure standards do not allow for real-time verification of our badges outside of the Credly platform, which is a main priority for ensuring verification. Credly is working with the open badge community for future solutions.

Will retired credentials have a badge associated with them?

No, only current credentials will have a badge.

Why does my badge only say "SAS Certified" and not show my credential earned?

With current naming conventions for SAS Global Certification credentials, there is not enough space to provide full names on the badges. Once you publish a badge, it will link to the appropriate credential you have earned.

Where and how can I share my credential through Credly?

Every credential and profile in Credly has a unique URL that can be shared from the platform to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter – via email, embedded in a website or on a résumé. You can also add your badge to an email signature.

Whom should I contact if I have questions, or if there are issues with my badge?

If you have issues with your SAS digital badges, contact elearn@sas.com. For questions navigating the Credly platform, visit support.credly.com.

What is the SAS® certification and skills directory?

This is a certification and skills directory made possible through our partner Credly. The directory gives you the opportunity to display your badge and broadcast your accomplishments to employers who could be a perfect match for you. The directory can be searched by skill, badge, earner or location.

Can employers who see the directory contact me about opportunities?

In order for employers to contact you directly about opportunities they may have, you must opt in to be contacted. Here’s an easy three step process to do that:

1. Navigate to your Credly profile
2. Click ‘Privacy + Security’
3. Toggle 'Allow users to contact me using my public profile’ to the ‘on’ position.
   

How can I opt in to the directory?

When you create your own Credly account, you are automatically opted in to the certification and skills directory. If you wish to be hidden from the directory, you can change the permissions in your Credly profile.