Evaluate My FBI Pre-Employment Polygraph Test

[Kid]

I just found this board today, about three weeks after my FBI polygraph for a Counter-Terrorism intelligence position. I am in my early 20's and this was my first polygraph so naturally I was nervous. I have never used drugs, but in my pre-test questioning I told the FBI examiner that there had been situations where I had been in rooms where others used marijuana. He responded that he did not want to hear this and that I should only mention instances where I think I violated the FBI drug guidelines. When doing this he cut me off from talking which was a common occurence throughout this three hour ordeal. He had a very aggresive demeneor with a sharp Southern accent and he used words like "crap" and "BS" now and then.

Anyway, he went through the first set of about ten questions asking the set over and over about five times. He then went on to the next set of ten questions, which dealt with drug usage. In the middle of the test he asked me if I had any problems with the questions and I said no. Eventually, the test finally ended. He unhooked me and I sat down in a simple chair close to his seat. He placed the pile of charts in front of him in a disorganized heap and began by saying that there was a problem. When I answered his question, "Have you violated the FBI's drug guidelines?" he claimed my charts showed I was not telling the truth. He commented something to the affect that once he sent these results to FBi Headquarters they would not accept them and that if he was "to go to bat for me with headquarters" I should be honest and admit any drug use. He also pointed out the door and said "no one would be working here if we cared about one pot use." I replied that I was nervous because of thinking of others using drugs and that I had never inhaled pot or used any drug.

He again interputed me mid-sentence and would not let me say anything more than a few words. He then went on to claim that I had been in a room with a couple people who were themselves smoking pot. They had offered me a smoke and I accepted, took the pipe, blew the smoke into my mouth, but did not inhale. In fact, this was the one occurence which I had not disclosed to him before the test because it did not violate the policy.

I don't know how he guessed this, but he basically told me exactly what occured. I then had to write on a supplemental form exactly what occured and sign it. After my admission he claimed I would have to be re-tested about whether or not I inhaled the pot smoke and asked that I write the exact number of puffs I took from the pot pipe on that one occasion. He also asked that I write whether I inhaled, but I told him that I never did becaue I am unable to inhale any form of smoke.

I knew I was in trouble after the test and now that I have read this board I know I am probably going to get a form letter rejecting my conditional appointment. The unprofessional behavior of the FBI examiner meant I really had no chance. If I had tried to admit the one occurence he would have said that is not important and perhaps even stopped me from explaining. Also, he jumped to conclusions: once I've been around people who smoked pot on a few occasions, he assumed I had been offered and if I was offered then I probably tried it and if I tried it I probably inhaled.

Anyway, I do not want to work for such a bureacratic and unprofessional organization like the FBI, but I am still wondering what the people with experience on this discussion board have to say. Do you think there is any chance I passed or will be re-tested?

[Mark Mallah]

I'm a little confused.  Early on you state:

I have never used drugs

.

Later on you state:

He then went on to claim that I had been in a room with a couple people who were themselves smoking pot. They had offered me a smoke and I accepted, took the pipe, blew the smoke into my mouth, but did not inhale. In fact, this was the one occurence which I had not disclosed to him before the test because it did not violate the policy.

It seems as though these are contradictory statements, a little Clintonesque.  The FBI will probably reject you for "lack of candor" resulting from your admission.  Believe me, they've spun "lack of candor" out of much less than that.

The examiner "knew" you accepted the pipe because he wanted to obtain a damaging admission from you, and many people in that situation, under peer pressure, would do exactly as you did.  So he posed a feasible scenario, using his dramaturgical skills, and you bit.  He hooked you.

I don't know if you deliberately concealed this one time use from the examiner, or whether you were confused about the guidelines and didn't think it qualified as a use.

If you wanted to "pass" the test, you would have been better off tellilng the truth as best as you understood the truth to be, then employing countermeasures such as recommended on this web site, or taking your chances on not being falsely accused.

Please let us know what happens, and good luck to you.