Preparing To Take A Polygraph Examination
While polygraph examinations are not admissible in court, the content of the pre and post-test interviews are. What does that mean to you? It means that they are still very important tools to discover the truth. With that being said, there are many reasons why one would take or be the subject of a polygraph. You may be looking for a job in law enforcement, whether it is for a local sheriff’s office, police department or one of the federal government’s three letter agencies. You could be the primary suspect in a criminal investigation or your partner wants you to prove that you have been faithful in the relationship. No matter the reason, you want to be prepared and feel as comfortable as possible going into the appointment
So, how do you prepare to take a polygraph? What are some Do’s and Don’ts that will help me get through the polygraph unscathed? What can I expect?
Let’s assume that you are taking a polygraph in the next 24 hours. Continue to take your necessary medications that are prescribed by your physician. However, abstain from recreational drugs such as marijuana, CBD, and other stimulants and depressants that will change your body’s natural state. This also means caffeine approximately four hours prior to the exam. Make sure you are properly hydrated and eat as you would normally. Do not skip meals.
You also need to emotionally prepare yourself for this experience. Most people create way more anxiety in anticipation and often say, “that wasn’t so bad.” Remember that you are there to tell the truth. Accept your faults and missteps. Concealing your responsibility or details will only cause you problems. Your examiner will take as much time as he/she needs to understand the dynamics of your life as it pertains the the issue(s) at hand. With that being said, the questions will be tailored with you specifically in mind. Even if you forgot to mention something earlier, but just prior to the exam, he/she will re-word the questions as needed to avoid any conflicts you may have with topic.
Just so you know, every one who comes in for a polygraph is nervous. It is to be expected. In fact, if you weren’t nervous at all, I would be greatly surprised. Your examiner knows this and will thoroughly discuss every facet of the examination process, from the time you walk in, till the time the report is finalized. By the time the instrumentation portion of the polygraph begins and “the test begins”, you will already know all of the questions being asked of you, word for word.
Next, let’s discuss the Do’s and Don’ts.
Do get a full night’s rest. Being tired is not good for your body and you do want to be alert.
Don’t be late for your appointment. Make sure you get off on the right foot from the get go..
Do ask questions. Feel free to ask anything that is on your mind. The better you feel and the more comfortable you are, the smoother the process.
Don’t be influenced by others’ negative experiences. What I’ve learned over the years is, what someone has a bad experience with a polygraph, they fail to mention the most important factor; they likely were not telling the truth and failed to mention that to you.
Do follow the examiner’s instructions. They will walk you through each step of the process and want you to succeed.
Don’t schedule another appointment for shortly afterward or try to squeeze the polygraph in right before work. As we will discuss below, you will not know exactly how long the entire process will take. My recommendation is schedule the appointment for a day off and not immediately following a late shift if you work overnight hours.
Finally, let’s discuss some other items you can expect. Expect the polygraph examination to take roughly 2-3 hours. That is from the time you walk in till the time you are done. It may be a bit shorter and it can also take a bit longer. If you are taking a pre-employment exam for a federal government position, expect the process to take 3-4 hours since the exam is done in two phases.
Expect to have a preliminary indication of how well you did following the exam. Most examiners should have the polygraph report completed that day or the following day.
Expect the examiner to ask a lot of questions about you, your family, and your background. These questions help the examiner understand the issue at hand and help him/her construct the questions that are best suited for you and answers the questions the person or organization requesting the polygraph wants to know.
In future posts, I will discuss other topics that you may be curious about or want to know to be better informed prior to taking a polygraph examination.