Two iterative maximum likelihood algorithms are available in PROC LOGISTIC. The default is the Fisher scoring method, which is equivalent to fitting by iteratively reweighted least squares. The alternative algorithm is the Newton-Raphson method. Both algorithms give the same parameter estimates; however, the estimated covariance matrix of the parameter estimators can differ slightly. This is due to the fact that Fisher scoring is based on the expected information matrix while the Newton-Raphson method is based on the observed information matrix. In the case of a binary logit model, the observed and expected information matrices are identical, resulting in identical estimated covariance matrices for both algorithms. For a generalized logit model, only the Newton-Raphson technique is available. You can use the TECHNIQUE= option to select a fitting algorithm. Also, the FIRTH option modifies these techniques to perform a bias-reducing penalized maximum likelihood fit.