Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I just have a couple questions. Is it common for a polygraph examiner to lie to me and tell me I have a reaction to certain questions? I had a couple questions that was told I had a reaction to and I was honestly telling the truth? She kept asking me what I was thinking which I wasn't thinking anything about the question. She didn't tell me I failed, but she wants to retest me next week on one question. She told me to think about it and if I remember anything to let my background investigator know. I don't know what to tell the BI since I was being as honest to the best of my knowledge.

I left feeling like crap and am wondering if i should just start apply elsewhere, all this waiting and mystery of the police hiring game is killing me.

Saying I did show a "reaction" to one question, does that mean I fail the hiring process? or does the department still look at the whole package. My BI and my polygraph were not conducted by the police department I want to work for, they were hired contractors.

If you told the truth and you know you told the truth then don't sweat it.

Although the polygraph is good, it's not infallible. I've read posts here from officers who failed it at one agency and passed it at another.

Take the retest and try to relax. If you are telling the truth, be confident when you take it and see what happens. A good operator should be able to discover why they are getting inconclusive readings by questioning you more.

i will try, its hard to relax now, knowing that that question will prevent me from getting the job.

i will try, its hard to relax now, knowing that that question will prevent me from getting the job.

Reason #12 why I don't think they should be used for employment purposes. Fortunately, in Oregon they can't by law.

Nobody said you won't get the job over that one question.....they are re-testing you!

My BI and my polygraph were not conducted by the police department I want to work for, they were hired contractors.
By hired contractors, do you mean another law enforcement agency or a private company?

Its a private company

Did they schedule a retest? Or did the polygraph operator say that's what would happen because of your "reaction" to the question?

Don't be surprised if you hear from the agency to which you are applying and discover there is no retest and you passed the polygraph.

If you answered all questions truthfully during the pretest and afterwards in the first exam, and there is a retest, just do the same. That's really all you can do.

I hope so, i really want this job, i am taking a huge paycut, but i really want to do it

The operator said to think about what i had a reaction to and what could have caused it, she then said to contract my background investigator to schedule a retest.

Its a private company
I've never heard of such a thing. What type of position is this? A regular, full-time, salaried police position with a village/town/city/county/state?

The operator said to think about what i had a reaction to and what could have caused it, she then said to contract my background investigator to schedule a retest.

Not a LEO but I can guess the question and guess the response and just do what she asked. call the BI, tell them it's the truth (assuming it is) and they will go from there.

I've never heard of such a thing. What type of position is this? A regular, full-time, salaried police position with a village/town/city/county/state?

In Connecticut most pre-employment polygraphs are done by private contractors. The CT State Police have a polygraph unit, and either two or three other large departments do as well, but that's it. If we had to wait for a police polygraph examiner to do all pre-employment testing, every department in the state would be backed up on hiring by about five years.