So I just took a poly for a LEO position. Everyone I told about my upcoming poly told me it was BS and I went online and read the usual tricks but felt like I didn't need any of them so I'm a calm person and actually haven't done much that needed lies.

So here's where I think I failed. The proctor I got was a very nice older gentleman. He fed me the story that he doesn't believe in experiences but rather evolution so he felt like things we've done in our past shouldn't define in our future. Sounded good to me at the time because it made perfect sense.

He told me the test wasn't accurate and he's had to fail people that were probably telling the truth but were nervous so he wanted to get to know me a bit to calm me down. Again, this was going way better than I expected.

Here's where it hit me after the test that I think I failed. As you probably all know any LE agency looks down on hallucinogenic drug usage. The proctor asked me if I had done illegal drugs in the past (before I was hooked up to the machine) and if I said it off the record when he asks me about it during the test he would ask me in a way that will cover what I told him so I wouldn't be lying to the machine.

Again this sounded perfect and made sense at the time. I admitted I have done shrooms and LSD one time when I was 16/17 years old which was 12 years ago. I told him that was all and I have not done anything since (not even smoke marijuana).

When I took the test he told me I passed except for one slight hiccup about theft. I told him I thought about illegally downloading movies and if that was considered stealing. He said he understand and accepts the justification but still needs to ask quality control to approve it but I will most likely pass.

He said if I didn't get a call in a couple of days to come back in for another poly I can consider myself passed. Now this is where it hit me a couple of days later. He wrote down the LSD and shrooms usage. If this gets back to my background investigator I'm going to get disqualified. 

I think the proctor played me. Anyway, I've already accepted the fact that I am most likely going to fail.

Thanks for the reply and honestly I blame my father. He told me if I lie about anything I was going to fail so when this guy gave me a way out I took it. 

At least I have experience with the polygraph now and can see the proctor is the actual lie detector and not the machine. I'm going to apply to a different department now that I know.

Ocelot
Here is a tip if you apply to other agencies. You will most likely be asked about other agencies you've applied to.  If you disclose this agency, chances are they will talk during the background phase. So you'll have to make anything you say about your background matches up.   

As Aunty Agony said, coaxing admissions is a big thing they are after. It's the one thing that is indisputable. 

Having said that, you are not dead on arrival when you apply to another agency.  Just get your story straight and stick to it from day 1, no matter what.  You have a little dirt on you. Nothing wrong with that.  Just be consistent with your next try.