From someone else who has been there . . .

I spent 5 hours on day one with the pre-test interview and my first session on the box before I was sent home to get a good night's sleep.  My lack of eating before the test and nervous sleeplessness the night before had supposedly screwed up my charts.

Day two was about 2.5 hours on the box and 1.5 hours in post-test interrogation.  All that time on the box was covering the same 30 questions, over and over again.  It takes a polygrapher a long time to piss you off enough to get the charts to show reactions to the questions (which he then shows to FBI HQ as a failure).  5 hours hooked up to a machine that questions my loyalty to my country?  You bet I was pissed off!

You can see my personal statement, http://antipolygraph.org/statements/statement-018.shtml, to get my full story.

Amazing how it takes such little time for the FBI to ruin someone's life.

Chris

Dear Anonymous21,

My experience was three hours in the first, two in the second, and three hours in the third with the FBI.

I have posted my experiences and two were professional and one was not.

I had to complete the process because I was already in a sensitive position in law enforcement in the 
Federal government and I did not want the polygraph "not being within acceptable parameters" on my record.

Is the risk and roll of the dice worth it?  I leave that up to you.  As for me, I do not think that I would have applied if I had known how they have complete faith and belief in the polygraph results without any common sense approach or obligation to follow through with "hard evidence" of their accusations. If judged not acceptable, you will have no right to a background investigation which might vindicate you.  They will not allow any videotaping or recording of the process should you question the conduct of the operator or deny statements they said you made.  You will be guilty until proven innocent and this goes against what the Constitution is based on.  You have to "appeal" and the power is all in their hands. Appeals are time consuming and very few "not acceptables" are overturned.

They have more applicants than openings and can afford to lose many qualified people without affecting the system.

From someone who has been there.

Regards.

You've named the major areas covered in a polygraph examination. The 1.5 to 2.5 hours you mention includes a pre-test interview, the "in-test" phase when you are actually connected to the polygraph instrument, and a post-test interrogation if the polygrapher believes that you have been deceptive.

It is certainly possible to fail the polygraph by being "too nervous." Specifically, if you are more nervous when answering the relevant questions than when answering the so-called "control," questions, then you are very likely to fail. About 50% of FBI special agent applicants are being branded as liars by the polygraph and permanently disqualified. See the public statements made by some victims of the FBI polygraph program on AntiPolygraph.org's Personal Statements page.

For an explanation of how polygraphy "works" (and doesn't -- it has no scientific basis), download The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.

Finally, I suggest that you seriously consider calling the FBI to cancel your polygraph appointment and withdraw your application for employment. The risk of failing the polygraph is so high (~50%) and the career consequences of failing so severe (a permanent FBI HQ file branding you as a liar), that it is better not to take it in the first place. See "Just Say 'No' to FBI Polygraphs."

What could possibly take 1.5 to 2.5 hours during the FBI pre-employment test?  I'm scheduled to take it early next week.  I know they cover marijuana, drugs, counterintelligence, and major crimes (murder, rape, arson, burglary).  What else do they cover that would take up to 2 hours?

Also, I'm so nervous over this test that I can't sleep at night?  Any good ideas on how to calm down and go in clear?  I have nothing to hide, but feel a pit in my stomach everytime I think of it.  Would I likely fail just from being too nervous?