collider wrote on Mar 4
th, 2006 at 6:51am:
Hi all, I have read the materials here and acclimated myself to the question formats. I was wondering if someone would be so kind as to share his/her Bureau experience w/ me/us. I'm curious as to how many questions are asked, and if theyre asked in a certain order (like relevant/control/control/control/relevant etc. or something). I have absolutely nothing to hide and sometimes wish I wasn't so intellectually curious - ignorance is bliss!
Still, I'd like to practice "in my mind" to the extent possible - so I am curious: is it better to concentrate thoughts on the relevant questions (get accustomed to hearing them, so as to reduce response when I actually hear them on test day), or is it better to concentrate thoughts on the control questions, so when test day comes I can think disturbing thoughts when I hear them.
THANKS all.
collider,
Reading TLBTLD as I assume you've done will help you understand the drill--you will know exactly what's going on. Before the test, he'll ask you if you've ever been poly'd before and will ask what you know about it. Do not tell him what you really know or you are doomed for sure. Make up something--the test doesn't cover what you know about polygraphy. He may warn you about countermeasures, though he may not use that word specifically. You will be warned to tell the truth about everything--the FBI doesn't want liars, etc. He'll go over the relevants (have you violated the FBI's drug guidelines, lied on application, has anyone motivated you to seek FBI employment, have you had contact w/ foreign intelligence) and have you answer them on a form and sign/date it. He may pick up the honesty sermon again and ask you control questions. If you divulge, he'll try to limit the time frame of such misdeeds. The number of controls probably varies from person to person, depending on how much you fess up. Some examiners will ask controls, but if they think you're answering honestly or do not appear to be bothered, he may drop them and they won't appear on the test. He'll ask if there's anything bothering you before the test and you'll say I'm sure like most people, that you're a little nervous and he'll say everyone is.
The examiner will begin the in-test, asking you a mix of irrelevants, controls and relevants for each round of questions, letting you take a break in -between rounds. You don't want to concentrate on the relevants --don't let them bother you. It's worrying about the controls that is key to passing the test. Just because you have nothing to hide, does not mean the so-called test will prove you truthful. Worry like hell over the controls. If I were in your shoes and knew about this nonsense beforehand, I would have opted out of the poly and withdrew my application. If you're informed about the poly and still want to work there, I would say definitely practice the mental countermeasures--think of something that truly frightens you during the controls. The fact that you know the truth about polys and the differences in the questions will most assuredly affect your test. You will know the controls are meaningless to the examiner and won't worry about them unless you use cms. If your charts are scored as no deception indicated, you'll be out of there in about an hour and a half, if not, the examiner will begin his interrogation of you and you're looking at about 3 hours...
No matter what the examiner says DO NOT under any circumstances, admit to using countermeasures or let him trick you into admitting something you didn't do. He may accuse you of using cm's. He should be less suspicious of you since this is your first test, but this site has created some paranoia among polygaphers in the agency, so be on guard. No matter what examiners say, if cms are employed correctly, they don't know for sure if they're being used. Stick to your guns as if your life depended on it.
By the way, ignorance was not bliss for me. I was uninformed and believed the poly was straightforward--tell the truth and pass--definitely not the case. Good luck to you.