I recently passed the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Polygraph using the techniques on this site and I thought I would share my experience to help others get through this unfair ordeal.  I do not believe that the polygraph is scientifically valid.  This method for choosing job applicants reminds me of something out of a medieval witch trial but if you want to be a cop in Fairfax County you have to try it and hope for the best.  I knew the polygraph was bs from the start.  Unfortunately, my brother found out the hard way when he applied for CIA.  After two days of having government polygraphers scream at him, he walked out in the middle of his interrogation.  My brother is one of the most honest and good people that God has placed on this earth.  He was deeply hurt (as was the rest of my family) by this experience.  My family has a long history of government service.  Another of my relatives works at a government agency where she is required to take regular polygraph tests.  This is a source of much anxiety for her.  She has worked for the same agency for over twenty years and frequently has to retest because of "failure".  I have heard her complain about polygraph abuse ever since I was a kid.  I have lived a very clean and boring life but so has my brother.  I did not want to risk having his experience so I prepared for the test.
My test was scheduled for 7am.  I was in the waiting area with two other examinees.  They made us wait.  At about 7:45 they told one of the other examinees that they were running a little late.  I had some reading material with me (be prepared) but the other two examinees were going crazy.  When they started talking we got called back--this was around 8:30.
The polygraph room was small, covered with "sound-proof tiles" and  had a one-way mirror and video camera.  I was made to sit in a short chair.  The polygraph equipment was on the desk in front of me.  The computer had a mouse pad that stated "In God we trust, all others we polygraph".  The examiner asked me to look over some papers and sign them.  He then left.  There were a couple of things to sign.  I had the option to request that the interview be recorded but I decided against it.
I was made to wait some more.  Finally, the questioning began.  I was not yet hooked up to the polygraph.  The first question I was asked was if anyone had told me what to expect.  I said that I had a relative who had to take regular polygraphs and that she said that I would be fine as long as I told the truth (I didn't mention all the other things she said about the polygraph).  The polygrapher took this statement hook, line, and sinker.  He loved it.  He spent some time telling me about how scientific the polygraph was and how John Hopkins developed it.  I tried not to roll my eyes.  The questioning continued for a couple of hours.
I was asked about every job on my resume.  I was asked to verify all the information.  I was asked if I had stolen anything from those work places (I was asked for each job individually).  I was asked if I had ever sabotaged a place of employment after leaving my job.  I was asked if I had killed anyone.  I was asked about tickets.  I was asked about stealing and selling drugs.  I was asked if I had any health conditions.  I was asked how much sleep I had the night before.  I was asked what medications I was on.  The polygrapher took out a notebook.  He complained that Virginia had very strict polygraph laws and said that he could only ask me sex questions that dealt with illegal sex acts.  He then proceded to ask (from the notebook) if I had ever paid for sex (he assured me that this would not disqualify me but I didn't believe it for a minute).  Had I ever had sex in public?  How old was the youngest person that I had ever had sex with?  Had I ever had sex with an animal?  A dead body?  There were a few other sex questions but I don't remember them all.  He asked me about drug use.  We went through a page-long list of drugs.  Have you ever used marijuana?  Have you ever used cocaine?  Steroids?  Prescription medicine?  Have you ever had contact with social services?  Do you know anyone who has served time?  Have you ever been involved in a hit-in-run?  As a driver?  As a passenger?  Have you ever been with someone who was using drugs?  It went on and on and on . . .
Finally, he told me that he was going to talk to his supervisor and put together the questions that they would ask me on the polygraph.  I asked if I could use the bathroom and he told me to wash my hands really well so that they could get a good reading with the sensors.  The bathroom had a one-way mirror over the sink so that they can watch to see if you wash your hands.
I returned to the waiting area for another long wait.  One of the other examinees was also waiting so we must have been on the same schedule.  Finally, they called me back to the polygraph room.  I noticed a small room labeled "Polygraph examiners only" that was in the right place to see into the bathroom through the mirror.  My portfolio (which I had left in the polygraph room) had been searched.  The polygrapher told me that they would ask me ten questions.  He read me the ten questions and gave brief clarifications of some.  He told me that they would repeat the same questions four times.
I sat in the polygraph chair and he hooked me to the machine.  The blood pressure cuff was uncomfortably tight.  The ten questions were asked with a pause between each one.  I used the not-breathing method on the control questions.  I don't remember all the questions but some were:  Is today Thursday?  (It was).  Do you intend to tell the truth on all the questions?  He asked me again about drugs.  He asked me about crimes.  He asked me if I had done anything that would embarass me if the Police Chief found out.
Once I got through the ten questions, the polygrapher released the blood pressure cuff and said that we would continue when my arm returned to its normal color.  I looked at my arm and it was purple.  We waited for a while.  The cuff tightened up and I was asked the same ten questions.  The cuff released.  The polygrapher said, "Let me check something," and walked out of the room.  I thought, "Oh boy, here we go.  This is where he starts screaming at me to tell the truth."  I continued to control my breathing because I knew that I was still on the machine.  The polygrapher returned to the room and unhooked me.  "Only twice?" I asked.  He said that he had what he needed.  I was temted to ask how I did but I had been warned to - NEVER ASK HOW YOU DID!  You are supposed to assume that you passed because you told the truth.  He told me that he would pass my results on to the detective who was doing my background check.  I tried not to act relieved that it was over but I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
So that's it.  I passed.  The Fairfax Police have a reputation for failing people on the polygraph but it is possible to get through if you prepare for it.  After hearing the experiences of my brother, other relatives, friends, and people on this website, I feel very fortunate to have passed.  I hope this helps someone.  Good luck to all of you!

Hello Rehab.

Thank you for sharing your story; however, your story doesn't completely add up.  If you have led a clean life, as you claim you have, then why on earth would you need to implose counter measures to beat the box?  That alone doesn't make any sense.   

Either you have led a very dishonest life and felt the need to imposed these counter measures because you knew otherwise you wouldn't pass.  OR... you have led a honest life and psyched yourself out in thinking you needed to impose these counter measures; but in reality passed because you were not lying. 

As for the mouse pad- that's actually quite funny.  Yes, hard to believe, but even cops have a sense of humor.   

In any event, while nothing in this life- even Polygraphs are 100% accurate.  I have to admit what you have described seems a bit far fetched.   

And I have to add, I can't imagine any organization has a one way mirror in a bathroom. Cops of all people know that you, a Private citizen, has a right to expect 'privacy' in a bathroom.  What on earth led you to believe it was a one-way mirror? Not to be mean but you sound a bit paranoid.  Keep this in mind, those guys are cops not perverts.  Honestly, if they were that concerned you, or anyone, was going to put something on your hands (to the point of effecting the results) then I'm sure they would have required you wipe down with something in the room. 

You claim to have passed, so congrats to you.  I sincerely hope the Polygraphist that passed you indeed made the right decision; because as a Police Officer (which I assume you now are) you have a huge responsibility as it relates to protecting the lives of citizens in your County.   

Good Luck!

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If telling the truth was the only requirement necessary to pass a polygraph I would have passed all four of my pre-employment polygraphs.  Instead, I only passed one even though I told the truth on all of them.

That is why some people contemplate the use of countermeasures despite planning to be truthful and despite having nothing to hide.

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But the polygraph machine does not measure deception, it measures the F3 (fight, flight, freeze) response, which may or may not indicate deception.  Or as a group of the nation's tops scientists have said:

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For example, a person's "FIGHT, flight, freeze" response might well react if the person is repeatedly answering a question truthfully, yet being repeatedly called a liar by the polygraph interrogator.  Especially if his/her job is on the line.   That he/she is CONSISTENTLY reacting doesn't necessarily show deception, it might just mean that they are consistently being defensive about the fact they are being falsely called a liar.  Doesn't prove anything.

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All three still operate on the same scientifically unproven theory that reactions, or a pattern of reactions, as measured on a polygraph can detect deception.

All three are not really tests for truthfulness, but rather, cleverly disguised interrogation methods meant to extract information from a beguiled applicant or criminal suspect.

TC

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News flash! Polygraphs are BS. Don't take this as an uncivil comment, but polygraphs don't work.  I tested with the FBI twice. (https://antipolygraph.org/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1217046685)  I have lived a very clean life, just like Rahab, but I didn't pass the test. Hmmm...there's a reason why a person might want to employ counter measures, no?

Also, before I tested for the first time, the polygrapher accompanied me to the bathroom where he watched me wash my hands. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are the last guys that are going to give you privacy.

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Aunty recommends that you actually read some of the threads on this site before exposing your blatant ignorance to the world.  Your post demonstrates bloviation far beyond your comprehension of the key issues.

Aunty apologizes to the other readers of this site for the insulting tone of this reply, but -- really, now.