The demand for SAS Certifications has never been bigger.

The number of SAS Certifications awarded has doubled over the last three years and in August the program had its biggest month ever with 1,195 certifications awarded.

Here’s another impressive stat. More than 59,000 SAS Certifications have been awarded since the program started in 1999 and more than half of those certifications were awarded internationally.

The demand is driven by our customers and employers recognizing the value of a SAS Certification.

Here’s what our customer tell us about why they get certified:

• Personal development.
• Enhanced credibility and industry recognition.
• Increased skills and knowledge by preparing for exams.
• Improved job security.

Konstantin Lang, a statistical analyst for a German pharmaceutical company, received his Advanced Programmer for SAS 9 credential in late December.

Lang told us in a blog, “I didn’t just get it for the job. It was also to make me a better programmer and more familiar with SAS.”

Here’s what employers tell us about employees with a SAS Certification:

• One measure of employee/candidate knowledge and skills.
• Defined employee training paths.
• Higher level of service/productivity.
• Competitive advantage with their customers.

Base and Advanced programming remain the most popular credentials, followed by Predictive Modeling. And the portfolio keeps growing. SAS users can validate their skills in a variety of credentials including Analytics, Administration, Data Management and Business Intelligence.

People can take SAS Certification exams at the following:

• Any business day at more than 4,500 Pearson VUE test centers located around the world.
• Monthly at SAS headquarters in Cary.
• SAS events such as SAS Global Forum, the Analytics series and many others.
• Regional users conferences.
• SAS country offices and training facilities.
• Select universities, where students and faculty receive a 50 percent discount.

SAS Education offers cost-effective training packages and students can use SAS Press books such as The Little SAS Book and Learning SAS by Example to help prepare for the exams.

CNN’s Money Magazine recently highlighted SAS Certification in its October edition. The article titled, “Become a Data Miner,” noted the value of a SAS Certification to help employees boost their pay.

For more information, visit the SAS Global Certification website or contact us at certification@sas.com.