Stefano,

You are correct regarding the Relevant/Irrelevant format, however there are examiners that use it, then take the question with significant response and call it a successive hurdles examination with only a single issue.  This is not in accordance with accepted standards of the APA or AAPP.  

Usually the screening exam, LEPT or LEPT1 is used, Significant Response question is then reduced to a single issue examination and that is the true Successive Hurdles examination.  

LEPT has three relevant questions and the LEPT1 has four.  
I examined my statement and it is incorrect as you pointed out. Thanks for correcting me. 

Bill

(I'm getting older and am tired tonight, I will have to engage brain before allowing fingers to type incorrect information)   

Bill_Brown wrote on Jan 27^th, 2012 at 3:31am:

Bill I have to disagree with you. Under no circumstances should anyone EVER use a Relevant/Irrelevant format. Those are less reliable than a coin toss. A successive hurdle exam should be a strict ZCT limited to one issue and it should be scored. I would certainly entertain a story where a police examiner followed the proper polygraph technique. I have heard just the opposite on this website, which I admit could be biased.

nc133, 

My suggestion is tell the truth and let the cards fall where they may.  If in fact you get a "Charlatan" for an examiner, you may be called deceptive when you are truthful.  The LE polygraph examiners I associate with are not charlatans at all, they are very professional and abide by the American Polygraph Association standards and the American Association of Police Polygraphers standards. 

You generally will be given a multiple issue examination, if you show significant responses consistently to one question and there is no explanation by you for the responses, you will be retested on the one question you showed significant responses to at a later date.  This is called a single issue examination.  The accuracy rate is higher on a single issue examination.  Some call this successive hurdles.   

Successive hurdles type examinations are generally Relevant/Irrelevant question formats and there is no numerical score assigned.  If you show significant responses to particular questions, you are then given a single issue examination on the question you were showing responses to.   

All applicants are nervous when taking a polygraph examination and examiners understand the nervous tension.  We deal with it and it is consistent throughout the entire examination.  If you are concerned about any particular question, discuss it with the examiner before the actual examination begins.  The question can be reworded and the examiner will try to make you comfortable with your answer.   

Best wishes on your examination, please let us  know how you do.   

nc133,

I suggest you stop your fretting. The polygrapher, like most others in his capacity, probably will not following the polygraph technique. He just looks for reactions and uses them as leverage to get you to make admissions. There is little that you can do beyond a proper application of countermeasures - the result is totally his whim. You are at the mercy of a charlatan who does as he pleases with no oversight nor consequences for such blatant tomfoolery. I'm still awaiting substantiation from Quickfix who claims otherwise, but I'd be wise not to hold my breath.

If he does say you failed, ask him if he gave you a single issue or multiple issue exam and ask him what your tabulated score is. You can further ask him why he did not employ the Successive Hurdles criterion prior to calling you deceptive.

I am going to be going to take my poly soon for a LE job i have allready admited to taking things from an employer (small things) and they must of been ok with that because i got a conditional offer. my question is i still feel nervous like i left something out of what i have allready told them but i caint think of anything. i read the online book and it was saying that stealing in small amounts is a control question so will that mean that if it peaks for that question i will be ok.