Here is the situation. I passed a Poly about 5 years ago. Since then, I moved and tried to get hired on with another PD (this was about a year and a half ago) and they really torqued me up in the CVSA/pre-test/post-test interviews. I never lied, and was totally honest, yet the CVSA said I was indicating deception on 3 key questions. They used a background investigator, and his sgt (who administered the test) and the first words uttered to me in the pre-test were "I really don't want to travel to [name of state omitted] to do your background investigation. After failing the test I gave up and didn't want to be a cop anymore. Well, I have been out of the job since then, and I just can't stay away. I have applied with a local agency for a reserve position, and I have an upcoming CVSA. I am extremely nervous that it will call me a liar again, but by the same token I am determined not to let a machine decide my future. I need to have someone put my mind at ease so I am not nervous as hell when I take the test!!! Help!!!

???

So does that mean you lied the first time? Do you need to keep having the questions 'rephrased' for you to pass?

So what do you considered a "skilled" poly operator? Someone that gives you results that YOU say are correct?  So are you saying operators that don't give you correct results are "unskilled???" 

The point is, why is it so important to get the "skilled" operator if the machine suppose to be accurate?????????????????????

Sounds to me like the science doesn't work, unless you get a "skilled" operator...    ???

Guest,

You're quite right that a lack of consistency doesn't prove that CQT polygraphy is not a scientific test.

However, it is telling that although the CQT has been in use for over half a century, there is still virtually no research regarding CQT polygraphy's test-retest reliability, that is, how well different administrations of the same "test" relate to one another. This is an area that DoDPI and others in the polygraph business seemingly would rather not explore.