Few parts of the security clearance process cause more anxiety than the polygraph examination. One concern we regularly hear is:
“What happens if I am telling the truth, but the polygraph says I am lying?”
After several of representing security clearance holders and applicants, I have seen applicants become extremely concerned when an examiner tells them that they are having difficulty with a particular question or that their physiological responses indicate a problem or deception.
The important thing to understand is that a problematic polygraph result does not necessarily mean that the government has conclusively determined that you lied. Depending on the agency and circumstances, additional testing, questioning, investigation, or adjudicative review may follow. It is not uncommon for individuals to go through 2-4 polygraph examinations as part of the process.
What Does a Polygraph Actually Measure?
A polygraph does not directly detect a lie. Instead, the examination records physiological responses while the individual answers questions. The examiner then evaluates those responses under the applicable testing procedures.
This distinction matters because applicants sometimes interpret an examiner’s statement that they are “showing a response” as a formal finding that they have been dishonest. That is not necessarily the case.
An applicant may be completely convinced that he or she answered truthfully and still encounter difficulties during the examination.
Who Has to Take a Polygraph?
Not every security clearance requires one. Polygraphs are most commonly associated with Intelligence Community (IC) positions and certain particularly sensitive programs, law enforcement positions or accesses. Current Intelligence Community guidance recognizes several forms of personnel-security polygraph examinations, including Counterintelligence Scope, Expanded Scope, and Specific Issue examinations.
For example, a Counterintelligence Scope Polygraph may address espionage, sabotage, terrorism, unauthorized disclosure of classified information, certain foreign contacts, and deliberate misuse of government information systems.
IC agencies generally require applicants to successfully complete a polygraph examination as part of their security and employment processing for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
What Happens When the Examiner Sees a Problem?
Suppose you answer a question truthfully, but the examiner tells you that your response indicates an unresolved issue.
The examiner may discuss the question with you further and attempt to determine whether there is something you remembered, misunderstood, or failed to disclose. Depending on the agency and circumstances, additional testing may also occur.
This can be stressful. Applicants sometimes begin searching their memories for anything that could explain the response. They may start second-guessing events that occurred years earlier or wonder whether they misunderstood the question.
The most important principles are simple:
- Do not change a truthful answer merely because you feel pressure to explain a polygraph response.
- Do not invent an answer that is not true because you think that will satisfy an examiner.
- Don’t guess at an explanation.
Suppose an applicant is asked whether he has ever improperly disclosed classified information. He truthfully answers no. The examiner tells him there appears to be a significant response to the question.
The applicant becomes nervous and begins trying to identify something, anything, that could explain the result. He remembers discussing work generally with a former coworker and starts wondering aloud whether perhaps he disclosed something sensitive.
If that did not actually occur, speculation can create an unnecessary problem.
Applicants should answer questions truthfully and provide information they genuinely remember. They should not invent possibilities or agree with an inaccurate characterization simply because they believe doing so will help them “pass.” This is frequent a problem that arises for some applicants.
A Difficult Polygraph Does Not Automatically Mean Clearance Revocation
A problematic polygraph can have different consequences depending on the agency, the type of access involved, whether the person is an applicant or current employee, and what other information arises during the examination. The polygraph is part of a broader personnel security process. Information disclosed during the examination may be investigated or evaluated under the National Security Adjudicative Guidelines.
For example, an admission concerning previously undisclosed drug use, foreign contacts, criminal conduct, or mishandling classified information may become relevant regardless of the physiological result itself.
This is why the information developed during the examination can sometimes become more important than whether someone believes they “passed” or “failed.”
Admissions Can Become the Bigger Issue
Consider an applicant who truthfully disclosed prior marijuana use on the SF-86. During the polygraph, the examiner repeatedly questions the applicant about drug involvement. The applicant becomes anxious and worries that the examiner does not believe the original disclosure.
There is nothing wrong with clarifying truthful information. The problem arises if the applicant begins changing dates, increasing or decreasing the extent of drug use, or making speculative admissions simply to explain the physiological response. Those inconsistencies can create new questions about candor, which could raise Guideline E, Personal Conduct issues.
Conversely, if the polygraph prompts someone to disclose material information that should previously have been reported, the government may evaluate both the underlying conduct and why it was not disclosed earlier.
Candor Still Matters Most
SEAD 4 places substantial importance on cooperation with the security process and providing full, frank, and truthful answers to lawful questions from investigators and security officials.
That is the standard applicants should keep in mind during a difficult polygraph.
- Do not try to determine what answer the examiner wants.
- Do not minimize conduct that actually occurred.
- But equally important, do not admit to something that did not happen simply because you believe an admission will end the examination.
Your responsibility is to provide accurate information.
What If I Am Asked to Take Another Polygraph?
A request for additional testing does not necessarily mean that the agency has concluded you lied. Depending on agency procedures and the circumstances, additional examination may be used when an issue remains unresolved or further testing is considered necessary.
If you return for another examination, consistency and candor remain important. If your truthful recollection has not changed, do not manufacture a different explanation simply because the first examination was difficult.
At the same time, if you genuinely remember additional relevant information between examinations, disclose it truthfully.
Can a Polygraph Affect Employment Even If I Already Have a Clearance?
Potentially. A distinction sometimes gets lost between security clearance eligibility, access to a particular sensitive program, and employment with a particular agency.
An individual may already possess a security clearance but need to satisfy additional polygraph requirements for SCI, a Special Access Program (SAP), or employment with an IC agency. There are also slight differences for federal employees versus contractors.
Failure to satisfy an agency’s polygraph requirements can therefore affect a particular position or access even when the situation does not automatically translate into a government-wide conclusion that the individual lied. The precise consequences depend heavily on the agency and type of processing involved.
Final Thoughts
What happens if you fail a polygraph but believe you told the truth?
First, do not assume that a difficult examination means the government has conclusively determined that you were dishonest. There may be additional questioning, another examination, further investigation, or adjudicative review depending on the agency and circumstances.
Second, remember that the polygraph is only one part of a broader security process. Information disclosed during the examination, and your candor in discussing it, can become extremely important.
Most importantly, do not manufacture an admission simply to explain a physiological response. If you made a mistake or genuinely remember additional information, it may be important to disclose it. The goal is much simpler: tell the truth, remain consistent with what you actually know and remember, and cooperate fully with the security process.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Polygraph requirements, Intelligence Community policies, agency procedures, and security clearance rules may differ depending on the agency, position, and access involved and may change over time. Readers should consult counsel regarding their specific circumstances.
