Just found this site...very informative.

Can someone please help.  I have a polygraph test coming up for a police position.  The policy is no drug use in the past calendar year.  I'm 31, and believe it or not, I experimented for the first time with marijuana 10 months ago.  One time and that was it.  Should I admit to this?  We'll they be OK since I did very well on all of the tests.   Or should I roll the dice and hope for the best in the polygraph?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

-Jerry

JerryB,

I personally think you are in a very sensitive situation. If you admit to the drug use 10 months ago, it is almost certain that you will be disqualified.

Then again, if you try to cover it up and conceal it during the polygraph exam, there is the risk that you will respond to the drug use questioning.

If you have not already done so, I suggest that you download and read "TLBTLD" before you take the polygraph exam. This reading and personal study may help you make the best decision for your given situation.

My personal pre-employment polygraph experience resulted in my decision to employ polygraph countermeasures. I passed the first polygraph exam [according to the polygrapher], however, when my charts were sent to the FBI DC polygraph lab for QA purposes, they "suspected" countermeasure use.

In hindsight, perhaps I responded to too many of the control questions to include the opening and closing statements "the test has now begin/the test is now complete". 

I share this information with you for the simple reason, if you decide to use polygraph countermeasures, practice before you get connected to the machine. Also, you may want to consider not responding to ALL of the identifiable control questions [if CQT is used]. Providing they administer a CQT test, consider responding to only a couple of CQT questions on each set of charts. 

If you are administered the R/I test, follow the advise as outlined in "TLBTLD" closely.

The best advice I can give you is to be honest, and tell the absolute truth. However, simply telling the truth is no guarantee that you will pass the polygraph exam, "false positive" [DI] results are not uncommon. Also, simply telling the BI the truth is no guarantee he/she/agency will "forgive" your drug use stemming from 10 months ago.

To sum it all up:

If you tell the truth, they are probably going to disqualify you anyway for not being within the guidelines of the LE agency drug policy. 

If you employ polygraph countermeasures, don't "over-do" it. You may stand a better chance of passing the polygraph exam, and get the job in which you seek.

If you choose not to employ polygraph countermeasures, lie about your drug use, and hope for the best on the polygraph exam results, you risk reacting to the drug use questions, thus, failing the polygraph exam. 

I would personally read; re-read and study the advice and information contained within chapters 3 & 4 in "TLBTLD". 

Disclaimer:
Remember, I followed my own advise as stated here, took two FBI pre-employment polygraph exams, [CQT & R/I] was initially told I passed the first CQT exam. The following week, I was suspected of using polygraph countermeasures, retested and failed.

I have been permanently [for ever] disqualified from further employment consideration with the FBI. Also, I was not attempting to hide anything in my background such as in your case with recent drug use. I was merely trying to reduce the risk of a false positive result.

It is my opinion; the reason I was "suspected" [not caught] of employing polygraph countermeasures is that I produced a "perfect chart”. Simply meaning, I responded to ALL controls, including the opening/closing statements, thus raising suspicion by the FBI DC polygraph lab. 


Good luck. 

Respectfully,
triple x