Polygraph tests....

[Capn Circus]

I've been reading different things about the Polygraphs lately, and www.antipolygraph.org says that people who have even told the truth have failed, and it does happen. And I'm just nervous about it. And certain questions that they ask, I'm just wondering if I have done something in the past that I can't remember of, and I'm just wondering that when I was much much younger (around 10-12), if I came accross any people that may have been under 18 years of age or not in pornographic material, or a popup or something.

I don't know much of that stuff, and it is just causing me to worry, because I'm afraid when I take the test, even though I may be telling the truth, in the back of my mind, I'll remember the questions I'm asking myself now, and wonder if it would have any effect on the test, because I'm sure it will! Why don't they just get rid of Polygraph tests?!

I'm afraid that it will actually stop a good person that obeys and follows the laws and wants to be a Police Officer really badly like me out of the question. Even though I may mess up and they may think I'm lying on just even ONE question that might be serious, even though I don't have *ANY* criminal record, and I have a great employment record, etc...

What if I just accidently came accross something I shouldn't have seen, that may have took place long ago... why should that determine whether or not I get a job being a Police Officer?

Can somebody who is educated on this stuff explain to me what your fears were when you took the Polygraph test, and what your outcome was... and if they tried to play any mind games on you like people claim they do.. I'm just... ugh! Help me! =(

[EMTFirefighter]

"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about."

I figured I'd get the typical O.com bull**** out of the way before one of these other idiots posts it.

[mobrien316]

It is entirely possible that you could tell the truth and still fail your polygraph. I have taken four polygraphs and I failed the first three. I answered the same way on all four, but for some reason they said I was deceptive about various things, such as dealing cocaine, on the first three tests. Just to be clear, I am not a cocaine dealer, nor have I ever been one.

If you have already been to Antipolygraph.org then you are aware of all the personal statements of people who have told the truth and still failed. In addition to all of those, there are the many more instances detailed on the message boards at that site. Regardless of what you may think of that particular site, it seems unlikely to me that every single person who claims to have told the truth was actually lying. And it isn

[Capn Circus]

So are you a Police Officer now? What happens when you fail, you just get to try again? Do they fail you if they think just one thing is "deceptive", or does it add up? I don't want to make one test that can possibly fail me, even if I'm telling the truth, determine the fate of my Police Officer career. =/

[JustDontDie]

So are you a Police Officer now? What happens when you fail, you just get to try again? Do they fail you if they think just one thing is "deceptive", or does it add up? I don't want to make one test that can possibly fail me, even if I'm telling the truth, determine the fate of my Police Officer career. =/

There's no other way... That's the risk you take. The risk is in the hands of a faulty device.

If you're Dis qualified at a department that doesn't disclude you from all others. Just the one. LEO, correct me if I'm wrong.

[mobrien316]

So are you a Police Officer now? What happens when you fail, you just get to try again? Do they fail you if they think just one thing is "deceptive", or does it add up? I don't want to make one test that can possibly fail me, even if I'm telling the truth, determine the fate of my Police Officer career. =/

Yes, I'm a police officer now. If you fail you are done with that agency but can still apply to others.

Ironically, I had the same examiner at my third test (which I failed) as my fourth test (which I passed.) At the time, I was so relieved to have passed that I didn't question her about how I could have been a thief two weeks ago but I wasn't a thief now.

[ctt]

I only read the story of the antipolygraph guy, where he claims that his FBI polygraph forced him to retire early from his military job because he had a failed FBI polygraph on his record. I decided to not read anymore about the tests because if I have to take one, I don't want to be accused of using countermeasures, as he says he was.

[ninerfan59]

hey, i just took my poly, and it was totally cool. i talked to him for more than an hour before i actually took the test. we talked about freakin everything, from me looking at antipolygraph.org to things i probably did when i was younger. it probably depends on the department, but this examiner was a Det. with the department, and his method included editing the test questions to exclude everything we just talked about. this was really mellow, and that helped calm the nerves a little. the three things i focused on the most were relax (as much as possible), tell the truth about everything, and dont overthink the whole thing. as your totally open with all your concerns and get everything cleared up ahead of time with your examiner, it should be fine. good luck to you!

PS, "totally cool" might be an overstatement, i was still nervous as hell, but things turned out fine.

[Capn Circus]

That's good to hear.

[WagonMan]

Heard about the "CVSA"? You might take that instead...

Is my tie red?...... Yes
Are you a terrorist?..... No

[RabbitMPD]

The polygraph is complete hog-wash! I failed my first one, passed my second, and failed my third and fourth. I answered the same on all of them and was truthful every time. Luckily the department I passed with took me. The three that I failed I had failed different questions. So, it's not even accurate when the POS machine is wrong! Apparently I am:

-A pedophile
-An alcoholic
and
-A thief

I'm glad I was told about all of those things because I don't ever recall being any of them.

[karpaasi]

Just took the CVSA for the second time. I've passed it once before and passed a polygraph as well. However, yesterday I showed "a little stress" with one of the questions. We did the test one more time to confirm that the stress was either present or not present. I wasn't told the outcome, and was told the test had to be verified by another officer before the results are official. Clear as mud, huh.

It I do indeed fail, you can add me to the list of folks who were completely truthful, yet still failed. I was nervous, which I think is normal, but I wasn't lying. The first time I took the CVSA the examiner said it was the least amount of stress he had ever seen on the test.

I wonder if general stress makes a different. I'm getting married in two weeks, and I'm under the gun big time at work right now. Needless to say, I'm undergoing some type of stress most waking hours of the day .

[NYerinCa]

I go for my poly tonight, so we will see what happens, They say I should get 6-8 hours of sleep the night before, that hasn't happend since the kids have been born and if this goes off general stress,I might be screwed because work is probably the most stressful that it has been in the last 5 years..but we'll see....

to be cont.

[NYerinCa]

Plus, I am also facing the possibilty of deployment to the middle east....

[Brownie]

I just passed my second, honestly there is nothing you can do to prep for it. Just go in and don't hide a thing. I gave more than they asked a lot of times and made the guy laugh(not saying that helped). All you can do is your best, so go in and be honest and you will be suprised of the results.