Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Programming Certification Practice Exam

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Which keyword is used to specify which variables to read in a DATA step?

SET
INPUT
OUTPUT
KEEP

The correct answer is: INPUT

The keyword that is used to specify which variables to read in a DATA step is INPUT. This keyword tells the SAS program which variables in the input data set should be read and processed. When using the INPUT statement, you can create new variables, manipulate existing ones, and control how the data is being read into the program. For example, if you have a dataset with multiple variables but are only interested in a few, you can list those specific variables after the INPUT keyword. This is crucial for managing memory and focusing on relevant data, ensuring a more efficient data processing workflow. The other keywords serve different purposes within the DATA step. SET is used to read data from an existing dataset, OUTPUT is used to write the results to a dataset at the end of the DATA step, and KEEP is meant for specifying which variables to retain in the output dataset, but it's not used to read variables in. Understanding the distinct roles of these keywords aids in mastering the structure and functionality of SAS programming.