Homer,

Thanks for sharing your polygraph experience here, and congratulations on passing your "re-test!" I wish you all the best as you continue through the application process, and am glad that you found the information available here useful.

Now that you've cleared this hurdle, please do consider writing to your elected representatives and asking them to remove the governmental exemptions to the 1988 Employee Polygraph Protection Act (see our "Get Involved" page at http://antipolygraph.org/get.shtml). Nobody's honesty and integrity should be judged based on pseudoscientific (and fraudulent) polygraph "testing," but polygraph reform will only become a reality when we demand it from our elected representatives.

Again, congratulations, and best wishes as you proceed through the application process.

I originally took a polygraph exam to get on a state police department.  I went in not knowing anything about polygraphs.  I told this clown everything!!  Then, afterwards he asks me "did any of these questions bother you?"  I told him know and he then grilled me and told me I "showed something" on the question "other than what you've told me, have you ever committed a crime?"  I answered "no" with a clear conscious.  He then asked me if I would be willing to take it later with someone else "if they want you back".   

So I just took the "re-test" a couple of hours ago.  Only this time, armed with the knowledge of THE LIE BEHIND THE LIE DETECTOR.  I asked the new detective why I would "pass" questions like "are you delibertly lying to me" and "have you lied or ommitted anything about crimes you've been involved in?" but I "failed" the question "other than what you've told me, have you ever committed a crime"?  I didn't really get a clean response.  More dancing than at a wedding.

Anyway, I felt really confident this time after reading up on this website and passed with no problem.  I suggest anyone going in for a polygraph read THE LIE BEHIND THE LIE DETECTOR.  I clearly was incharge, not the examiner.  Knowing how they work put my mind at ease.  I wasn't trying to lie on this exam, just pass..  Beware of trickery and deception by the EXAMINER!

thanks a million