How does one perform the Fligner-Policello test in SAS using NPAR1WAY?

Question

My questions is about the SAS procedure NPAR1WAY. Specifically, I want to use the Fligner-Policello test, which is supposed to be invoked through the "FP" option. This test is an adjustment to the standard Wilcoxon rank-sum test for two-samples.

This option is documented on the SAS help website; however, no examples are given. I have not been able to find any examples of proper syntax for using this test.

Here is the syntax that I have tried so far and which seems to be suggested by the SAS documentation:

proc npar1way fp data=input;
    class stratum;
    var varname;
run;

Here is the error message:

R 22-322: Syntax error, expecting one of the following: ;, AB, ALPHA, ANOVA, CONOVER, CORRECT, D, DATA, EDF, HL, KLOTZ, KS,
              KS1, MEDIAN, MISSING, MOOD, NOPRINT, NORMAL, PERM, PLOTS, SAVAGE, SCORES, ST, VW, WILCOXON.
ERROR 202-322: The option or parameter is not recognized and will be ignored.

The error message seems to suggest that SAS is not expecting the "fp" option, yet the SAS documentation does mention it (http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/statug/66859/HTML/default/viewer.htm#statug_npar1way_details20.htm).

Has anybody used this test before successfully?

Alex A. Alex A. · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-12T16:59:27

You reference the documentation for SAS/STAT 13.1, in which the FP option is documented and supported. However, based on what SAS is telling you it expects in the PROC NPAR1WAY statement, it looks like you don't have SAS/STAT 13.1. The FP option was new to 12.1, the release prior to 13.1, before which it was not available. (See here for the enhancements introduced to NPAR1WAY in 12.1.)

So how do you get the Fligner-Policello test from NPAR1WAY in your version? If you have a version of SAS/STAT prior to 12.1, unfortunately you can't, at least not directly.

How does one perform the Fligner-Policello test in SAS using NPAR1WAY?

1 Answers