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1. What should I look for in a polygraph examiner? 2. What about licensing requirements? 4. How do I get a polygraph examination scheduled? 5. How long does it take to get an appointment? 6. What kind of questions can be asked? 7. How many questions can be asked in an exam? 8. Who decides how the questions are worded? 9. Who can be in the room during the polygraph? 10. How much does a polygraph examination cost? 11. What if the examination is inconclusive? 12. Can you test someone in prison? 13. Can an employer have an employee tested?
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1. What should I look for in a polygraph examiner? First, the examiner should be a graduate of an American Polygraph Association (APA) accredited school and should be a member of the APA and/or the American Association of Police Polygraphists (AAPP). The APA has a list of accredited schools and examiners. The test is only as good as the training, ability and experience of the examiner. The greater the experience of the examiner, the more likely he/she is to have experienced any given situation and to have resolved various difficult testing issues. No school is more highly regarded than that run by the U.S. Department of Defense and no polygraph program has a better reputation and breadth and depth of experience than that of the FBI.
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2. What about licensing requirements? Florida does not have licensing requirements for polygraph examiners. That means it is critical to utilize a professional examiner who is a graduate of an APA accredited school. The APA is the only accrediting organization for polygraph schools and as such sets the standards for polygraph professionals. A test by an examiner who does not meet APA standards is not going to be a professional polygraph exam.
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Various U.S. government studies have shown single-issue exams to be 85 to 95 percent accurate if conducted by a qualified examiner. Of course; the more qualified and experienced the examiner, the more accurate the exam. Unlike CVSA, which every study done has shown to be no more accurate than flipping a coin, polygraph is the single most accurate tool for determining veracity.
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4. How do I get a polygraph examination scheduled? Contact us at the phone number or email address listed on this site and tell us your name, contact information, location and type of examination you would like to have done, and what issue you would like to focus on.
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5. How long does it take to get an appointment? Depending on mutual availability, it could take as little as one day from the time of the request.
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6. What kind of questions can be asked? Polygraph exam questions have to be carefully constructed in a manner which is very clear and unambiguous and doesn't use legal terminology or perceptions. For example, rather than ask "Did you murder that man?" a proper test question would be "Did you shoot that man?".
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7. How many questions can be asked in an exam? One exam will address one issue which is generally going to be addressed by two questions directly relevant to that issue. With the exception of screening exams, only one specific issue can be addressed in one test.
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8. Who decides how the questions are worded? The polygraph examiner always determines the questions to be asked and the exact wording to be used. Only the examiner is qualified to properly format the questions to acceptable professional standards. The person/agency requesting the exam decides the issue they wish to have tested, but the examiner determines the exact verbiage used in formulating the questions.
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9. Who can be in the room during the polygraph examination? Only the polygraph examiner can be in the room during the exam. An exception applies when an interpreter is required due to language barriers. In that case, an interpreter may be in the room in an unobtrusive manner to interpret for the examiner and examinee.
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10. How much does a polygraph examination cost? The cost will vary according to the type of exam and the location in which the exam is to be conducted. Like other professionals, the greater the expertise and experience of the examiner, the greater the value of their services. If a cancellation notice is given more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled exam, a $100 cancellation fee will be deducted from the prepayment. If a cancellation notice is received less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled exam, only 25% of the prepayment will be refunded. If the examinee fails to show for his exam without notice, the client will be responsible for the full exam fee.
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11. What if the examination is inconclusive? In the event of an inconclusive examination, I will re-test the examinee without additional charge.
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12. Can you test someone in prison? Yes. I have conducted many examinations in prison.
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13. Can an employer have an employee tested? An employer can have an employee tested under certain circumstances, such as when that employee is suspected of theft. It must be an employee and not a sub-contractor or employee of another company, the employer must have suffered an identifiable loss, the employee must have had access to the missing or damaged property, and the employee must be suspected of involvement in the loss. The test questions can only address the specific loss being tested. Based on legislation passed in The Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, only the following businesses are allowed to request pre-employment screening exams: 1. Security companies 2. Pharmaceutical Sales or Transportation Companies 3. Power generating companies 4. Law enforcement agencies 5. Other government agencies
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