Trout...I think you are digging too deep into the questions regarding relevant and control questions.  You need to seriously sit down and beging to learn and understand the theory behind the polygraph test.  By simply continuously asking questions to fellow posters on the message board, I feel you are only further confusing yourself and making this MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH more complicated than it really is.   
Do yourself a favor and sit down and READ--as in actually reading word for word--The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.  I think your confusion is stemming from the fact that you are trying to put the pieces together of a puzzle that you have never seen before.  All the pieces are important, but you need to see it in its TOTALITY before you can put them all together.  Get the idea?  Your situation is similar to fellow poster "therock."  If this is a test you plan on passing by using countermeasures, you certainly can not cheat yourself by using cheap methods of study.   

Netnin

Trout:

You are missing the following point entirely:

On a PROBABLE LIE CONTROL QUESTIONS TEST, which is highly likely (I'm guessing at a 99% chance) the test you are going to take, the examiner is ASSUMING YOU WILL BE LYING on the "probable lie" control questions.  It is called a "probable lie" control questions test for a reason--because it is PROBABLE that nearly all who respond by saying "no" to the controls are lying.  You are being tricked by the examiners before you even got to the test!  This is the whole trickery behind the probable lie control questions test.   

I am going to go out on a limb and say that two control questions you will encounter on the test will be something to the effect of:

"Besides what you told me, was there anyone else that you lied to of authority?"

and

"Other than what you told me, did you steal anything else 
before the age of 18?"

The examiner EXPECTS YOU TO LIE or atleast doubt yourself on these questions.  They expect 99% of people to atleast doubt themselves on these questions.

The only purpose the control questions serve are to show what your anxiety reaction is like.  The test is BASED on control questions.  The examiners AND THE POLICE COMMISSIONERS (or whatever agency you are trying to get into) DO NOT CARE (I REPEAT DO NOT CARE) about heightened reactions on controls.  Heightened reactions to controls ARE WHAT THE TEST is measured by.   

Simply put, if you don't have high reactions to controls you are screwed.  YOU SHOULD HOPE LIKE HELL THAT YOU HAVE HIGH REACTIONS ON CONTROLS (or can possibly produce them via countermeasures).

You are entirely forgetting the fact that contol questions are broad ranging and insignificant in value and severity.  They aren't issues that are grounds for disqualification (Police commissioners and examiners know and expect that nearly all people have lied to many others in the span of their lifetime...it is part of human nature to lie.  They know that!).

The ONLY way you will get disqualified  (as I stated earlier in another post) based on information regarding controls is if you state (IN THE PRE-TEST INTERVIEW OR POSSIBLE POST TEST INTERROGATION) or respond with extreme numbers, or admit to doing drugs recently (within the last 2 1/2 to 3 years).

Admissions (to questions that are turned into control question during the test) that will get you disqualified are things such as:

-Smoked crack for 3 years straight, last time 6 months ago or year ago.
-Yeah I still smoke weed
-Yeah I stoled 500$ worth from shoplifting/from old job
-Yeah I stoled money from  my old job (NEVER ADMIT TO TAKIN MONEY)
-Yeah I drink a 12 pack every week
-Yeah I have atleast a beer a day

Responses like the ones above--either during the pre-test interview or possible post-test interrogation--are the only way you will get disqualified based on admissions to questions that are turned into control questions.   

And keep in mind that you should NEVER admit to something more than what you told them during the pre-test interview if they give you a post-test interrogation (basically an interview that reviews your responses and admissions).

I hope I'm not confusing you more.  It seems as though you are getting a good grasp of the difference between relevant and control questions.  The point you are missing--and the point I tried to make above using 10,000 words (lol) is that 
A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT YOU TOLD THEM IN YOUR PRE-TEST INTERVIEW/LIFESTYLE QUESTIONNAIRE AND HOW YOU REACT SPECIFICALLY ON THE CONTROLS WILL NOT GET YOU DISQUALIFIED.  Ultimately, the examiners want you to react strongly to controls so that you will pass.

Think about it this way:
How would discrepancies between control question reactions and what you admitted to lead to disqualification if the ONLY WAY TO PASS THE TEST IS BY HAVING HIGH REACTIONS to the control questions (higher than relevant).......?  Some food for thought!

Netnin Yahoo

Trout:

It sounds like things are really starting to click for you. I'm still in the learning process as well.  I just took a polygraph for a local police department and am hoping to become a police officer as well.   

You couldn't even possibly imagine how much it bothers me that we have to take a polygraph to become officers.  I did some stupid things in the past (long ago and nothing very serious, never set out to harm or hurt anyone...just stupid teenage stuff) that I am forced to lie about during the polygraph because it is grounds for automatic disqualification.

The problem is that I am a totally different person now.  I work out almost every day, get straight A's at the university I am attending,  and stay far away from getting in any trouble.   

But these damn things in the past are things I am forced to lie about. It is such an upsetting situation.  The polygraph comes before most opportunities for an interview, and I haven't gotton the chance to really show these commissioners what I am really all about because I failed one polygraph when I was in a good position to get hired.  I wasn't aware of how the detector works at that time, but I just took another one for a different P.D. and used countermeasures on the controls.  I am still waiting for the results.   

I intend on using countermeasures on ALL polygraphs I may have to take.  I will fail otherwise.

I used the tac in the shoe (carefully used it...don't try it)

Just letting you know there are others out there worrying like you!