Polygraph Testing

[guest679876]

Has anybody who has had a background check completed had a polygraph? What clearance level did you get?

I'm concerned about moderate drug use that I have stopped since receiving the award.

[CSMajor]

A Secret usually doesn't require a polygraph unless red flags are raised. I wouldn't worry too much about moderate drug use. No one is perfect and they understand that. Has anyone from SMART been denied a clearance before?

[Guest]

A Secret usually doesn't require a polygraph unless red flags are raised. I wouldn't worry too much about moderate drug use. No one is perfect and they understand that. Has anyone from SMART been denied a clearance before?

I had a TS and people with drug use still got it as long as they were honest

[kbl2017]

You just have to be honest - your clearance isn't about if you did drugs in college it's about can you keep what you're working on a secret? do you have any questionable contacts? have you visited other countries for other things besides vacation? etc. Like a previous poster said, a polygraph is only for TS not for just secret which is what most people will be.

[Arbitor]

A Secret usually doesn't require a polygraph unless red flags are raised. I wouldn't worry too much about moderate drug use. No one is perfect and they understand that. Has anyone from SMART been denied a clearance before?

Yes - at my SF they told me someone got denied because they had a lot of debt/credit card problems; it's a way for someone to get leverage over you.

[CSMajor]

A Secret usually doesn't require a polygraph unless red flags are raised. I wouldn't worry too much about moderate drug use. No one is perfect and they understand that. Has anyone from SMART been denied a clearance before?

Yes - at my SF they told me someone got denied because they had a lot of debt/credit card problems; it's a way for someone to get leverage over you.

Yeah, if you have thousands of dollars in credit card debt and don't make your payments on time it opens you up to extortion. I think this is only a problem if you literally have thousands of dollars in debt or you are constantly delinquent on payments.

[jacksonemmanuel]

Has anybody who has had a background check completed had a polygraph? What clearance level did you get?

I'm concerned about moderate drug use that I have stopped since receiving the award.

No. Polygraphs are notoriously unreliable. A thorough background check is required. It includes verifying all information you have given. It also includes interviews with neighbors, friends, former teachers, prior workmates, etc. Every facet of your life is examined, and you are questioned about everything that is found that you have and have not included.

[Phase 2 Scholart]

@jacksonemmanuel

The US government does in fact at times conduct polygraph testing. The fact that polygraphs are known to be unreliable does not prevent the US government from using them.

As previous commenters have pointed out, many former drug users have disclosed these activities and still obtained clearances. Best to be honest about your past and stay clear from illegal substances from now on.

[guest12341235]

I have a friend not in SMART that has failed a polygraph and ultimately not gotten his clearance a few times. He is one of the straight-shooting guys I know. He hasn't done anything illegal in his life, but he failed the polygraph and they wouldn't give him clearance. I feel like its a 50/50 tossup whether you get a clearance or not.

[Guest]

I'm an undergrad that went through the polygraph process. The did not ask anything about drug use at all, they were basically like are you a spy. It was a little stressful and long, but ultimately not a super big deal. As previous people have said be honest and you should be fine.

[malarious]

I have a friend not in SMART that has failed a polygraph and ultimately not gotten his clearance a few times. He is one of the straight-shooting guys I know. He hasn't done anything illegal in his life, but he failed the polygraph and they wouldn't give him clearance. I feel like its a 50/50 tossup whether you get a clearance or not.

This does not sound right, at all. If he is failing multiple times, he is either messing something up pretty badly, or he needs to work on anxiety when testing. An error in a polygraph does not generally result in rejection, it takes more than that.

You can get your clearance with multiple felonies on record, so if he is straight shooting he is not failing his polygraph, he is blowing it on a nuclear level.