Any tips on the polygraph?

[cobramike03]

it sucks cause so many people tell me "just tell the truth"....others say "lie through your teeth"..... ive been told the examiner wants to see a baseline the whole way through- to see you remain calm and not show deceitfulness... i hope i can find out here the best way to go through it

 

[FordSVTFan]

I dont know who you are talking to that are telling you to lie, but if this is for a L.E. position and there is any doubt of your truthfulness you will not be hired. If you have an experienced examiner, he WILL pick up on the lies.

At this point, if you dont know the right thing to do, you should choose another career path. We have enough people in L.E. that skirt the truth, we dont need one more!

 

[RDJ]

it sucks cause so many people tell me "just tell the truth"....others say "lie through your teeth"..... ive been told the examiner wants to see a baseline the whole way through- to see you remain calm and not show deceitfulness... i hope i can find out here the best way to go through it

you should listen to those who have been through them and not your buddies that watch too many movies.

I have been through 4 or 5 don't remember for sure because my last one was in 1989.

FordSVTFan has been through multiple ones I would wager he has been through at least as many as I have if not more.

ANYONE who tells you to lie, remain calm and you will pass it, put a tack in your shoe, take valium before you go or any other crap of this sort has not been through one and if you listen to them you will lose.

 

[crazyj0n]

you should listen to those who have been through them and not your buddies that watch too many movies.

I have been through 4 or 5 don't remember for sure because my last one was in 1989.

FordSVTFan has been through multiple ones I would wager he has been through at least as many as I have if not more.

ANYONE who tells you to lie, remain calm and you will pass it, put a tack in your shoe, take valium before you go or any other crap of this sort has not been through one and if you listen to them you will lose.

but wouldn't a false sense of security help them?

 

[TJSwoboda]

Never mind, says LEOs only. Feel free to delete.

 

[cobramike03]

i appreciate all the input.. im not asking how to beat the polygraph....im basically asking if the things i mentioned in my past will hinder me from acquiring the job of police officer that I am pursuing.... im not trying to take up space on this forum or try to get tips from people that have gone through this already. i've busted my a** for the last 6 months testing for numerous departments and am finally 75% of the way there with the last two of them I really want to get into. i just dont wanna throw away what i have worked hard for....

 

[RDJ]

but wouldn't a false sense of security help them?

No it wouldn't. It will more likely hurt rather than help .. the mind is a powerful thing and going in with a false sense of security will simply add stress because in the back of your mind you are going to be worried about if that is going to hold up. 100% honesty is the only way to go ... if you are honest you basically have nothing to really worry about so you won't be distracted

 

[FordSVTFan]

i appreciate all the input.. im not asking how to beat the polygraph....im basically asking if the things i mentioned in my past will hinder me from acquiring the job of police officer that I am pursuing.... im not trying to take up space on this forum or try to get tips from people that have gone through this already. i've busted my a** for the last 6 months testing for numerous departments and am finally 75% of the way there with the last two of them I really want to get into. i just dont wanna throw away what i have worked hard for....

Must departments/agencies dont want to waste their own time or resources testing and approving a candidate who is disqualified. I am sure at some point each dept gave you something with their DQs on it.

Since it has been asked and not answered, I will assume it is significant, that you arent revealing what you have stolen from your previous employer.

Additionally, which hasnt been pointed out, they use the poly to confirm the things you answered on your application and forms. Such as arrests, convictions, charges, allegations, etc.

The answer to your question is still the same, you need to be completely honest.

 

[ford5.0forlife]

The last poly I took was administered by an FBI polygrapher. He was a specially trained agent who did these full time. It took four hours. He did a little mind game first to prove that it worked, by him guessing a number I was thinking of. It worked. And I passed.

I remember my uncle was in the FBI and he brought me and his sons (my cousins) down to where he worked to give us a tour. One of the things he did was a lie detector test, I dunno if it was a poly, but I wasn't riddled with a ton of sensors. Although it was hooked up to a graph. I beat that like 2-3 times in a row which made him uncomfortable, lol. But this was 10 years ago.

The best was the arms simulator. For a 13-14 year old, a real gun, movie screen size Live action video game with verbal commands is unrivaled!! Of course my partner was shot, I took out a lamp in the living room, and I shot to wound through a doorway.

 

[EVILNSS]

I have to get one done shortly for this Police Citizen Aid Position im going through the process of getting, any thoughts on it would be appreciated. one thing that always comes up is... Have you ever done anything illegal while driving that you could have gotten pulled over for but never did, and I answered yes in the past b/c im sure everyone has broken the speed limit, didnt fully stop at a stop sign, but then the examiner wants dates and times, how are you supposed to know that?

 

[RDJ]

I have to get one done shortly for this Police Citizen Aid Position im going through the process of getting, any thoughts on it would be appreciated. one thing that always comes up is... Have you ever done anything illegal while driving that you could have gotten pulled over for but never did, and I answered yes in the past b/c im sure everyone has broken the speed limit, didnt fully stop at a stop sign, but then the examiner wants dates and times, how are you supposed to know that?

I have had this kind of thing happen as well. A couple of instances come to mind. Once I told them I couldn't tell him dates and times because I don't keep a list of when I go 10 over the speed limit, I just know that I have on occasion.

On another poly we got to a section on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of government computer systems. we talked a bit and then he started the poly and while going through that series of questions I remembered something I should have mentioned and didn't. I could feel myself flush LOL I KNEW we would be talking further.

He switched off the machine and asked me what bothered me about the question. I looked at him and said "you have to remember something I am a hacker by trade" LOL he freaked ... what? what? you try to hack into government computers .. I laughed and explained to him what a hacker really was. I went on to explain that I had a whole basement full of "pirated" software. Some came from government sources and some didn't. I went on to tell him I was a member of a group of propeller heads and that anytime someone got new softare, everyone got a copy and nobody asked where it came from.

I then invited him to come to my house and go through it all. If he could figure out what was government and what wasnt more power to him and he could take it, but I was not going to waste my time. we moved on from there and I passed the poly .. I did have to sign a paper that said I wouldn't do it anymore LOL!

but the short answer is ... you tell them you don't know the times and dates but are sure that at some point you had. if he wants to be more specific in his question you might be able to help him out but as put the question is too vague for specifics.

 

[RDJ]

I remember my uncle was in the FBI and he brought me and his sons (my cousins) down to where he worked to give us a tour. One of the things he did was a lie detector test, I dunno if it was a poly, but I wasn't riddled with a ton of sensors. Although it was hooked up to a graph. I beat that like 2-3 times in a row which made him uncomfortable, lol. But this was 10 years ago.

The best was the arms simulator. For a 13-14 year old, a real gun, movie screen size Live action video game with verbal commands is unrivaled!! Of course my partner was shot, I took out a lamp in the living room, and I shot to wound through a doorway.

don't know what it was but it was neither a lie detector or a poly since they are one in the same. My guess is that your uncle was not a polygrapher by training and thus was unsure how to work the machines. If you didnt have at least 3 or 4 sensors it was not hooked up right. either way I can tell you now that you didn't beat it once in a row let alone 2-3 times in a row.

 

[EVILNSS]

I have had this kind of thing happen as well. A couple of instances come to mind. Once I told them I couldn't tell him dates and times because I don't keep a list of when I go 10 over the speed limit, I just know that I have on occasion.

On another poly we got to a section on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of government computer systems. we talked a bit and then he started the poly and while going through that series of questions I remembered something I should have mentioned and didn't. I could feel myself flush LOL I KNEW we would be talking further.

He switched off the machine and asked me what bothered me about the question. I looked at him and said "you have to remember something I am a hacker by trade" LOL he freaked ... what? what? you try to hack into government computers .. I laughed and explained to him what a hacker really was. I went on to explain that I had a whole basement full of "pirated" software. Some came from government sources and some didn't. I went on to tell him I was a member of a group of propeller heads and that anytime someone got new softare, everyone got a copy and nobody asked where it came from.

I then invited him to come to my house and go through it all. If he could figure out what was government and what wasnt more power to him and he could take it, but I was not going to waste my time. we moved on from there and I passed the poly .. I did have to sign a paper that said I wouldn't do it anymore LOL!

but the short answer is ... you tell them you don't know the times and dates but are sure that at some point you had. if he wants to be more specific in his question you might be able to help him out but as put the question is too vague for specifics.

See he would keep digging like give me an rought idea, and then dig deeper, and then deeper.

another prime example, have you ever recieved oral while driving/public. sure who hasnt. he wants 2-4 lane road, day or night, could anyone see, bla bla bla, it was soo much im like i dont know i can't tell you how many times. they try to dig so deep. and what about the questions on do you street race. good thing my cars been out of commision for the last year and the year before that it was in and out of the shop so much, it wouldnt make a difference.

 

[EVILNSS]

Anyone?

 

[FordSVTFan]

What is your question?

 

[LS1 Eddie]

ANYONE who tells you to lie, remain calm and you will pass it, put a tack in your shoe, take valium before you go or any other crap of this sort has not been through one and if you listen to them you will lose.

Why would you not want to remain calm?

 

[RDJ]

Why would you not want to remain calm?

you do want to remain calm ... what you DON"T want to do is concentrate so hard on being "calm" that is takes your focus away from the questions. I believe that my comment that you are referring to was not on "remaining calm" but going in with a "false sense of security". A False sense of security will get you in trouble on a poly.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Okay this has been beaten to death.

Polygraph = Dont Lie. Answer Yes/No. Follow Instructions exactly. Dont try to influence the outcome with tactics.