Hi there,
I’m a college grad and i’m going through the security clearance process for a 3 letter agency. I got through the sf-86, investigator, and now got my poly and psych soon for a TS/SCI with poly. The thing is I am a bit nervous about the entire thing and even reading over the pamphlet about the poly and stuff still doesn’t ease my nerves. What do they even ask about? How does the psych evaluation even work? Do they just keep on asking you stuff to see if you’re mentally capable/stable?
Also, i just got into a relationship literally a couple weeks after my discussion with the investigator, and the person i’m with is a foreign national whose pending their green card. I know i have to disclose this info, but would i get penalized about this? Would software / tv show piracy fall under misuse of IT systems? iFinally, i’ve taken edibles twice and never intended to, it was stupid, but would they penalize me for it? I mentioned it in my sf-86 and discussed it with the investigator, but would they try to paint me as a drug lord or some?
l
sorry for all of these questions, just a bit antsy.
We all know that “three letter agency” means CIA or NSA, or some other intelligence community agency. I don’t know why people don’t just say the agency name as if it is a big secret.
Let me tell you this about the psych and poly, the goal is to get you to make a disqualifying admission that they never would have found out about. The whole clearance and suitability process can only discover what is on record, what others tell investigators about you, and what you self-disclose. Nobody can read your mind.
The basic questions asked on your poly and visit to the shrink can be found online and they are open-ended questions. The psych portion used to be the MMPI-2 assessment where you answer 500+ questions and then a shrink reviews them and focuses on just a few things. Yes, they want to see if you are mentally stable. Here is a tip: If you believe in ghosts, aliens, zombies, and such, don’t mention it. The IC will deem you a nutcase.
For the poly, do not admit to anything that isn’t on record. The investigators WILL find out about your foreign national relationship, so admit it. As far as piracy, I would caution about this. A few downloads and streams won’t hurt you, but there is a secret threshold that will. For what it is worth, admitting to downloading a hundred songs and movies several years ago is fine if you stopped doing it. If you admit to still doing it and the number is in the tens of thousands, you’ll probably get dinged. Again, nobody knows the threshold. For edibles, taking a two edibles before is fine, if it was over a year since you applied. If you admit to recent use, like since your application, you are DQ’d. Whatever you choose to disclose, STICK TO YOUR STORY. Do not start changing numbers and frequency or you will be DQ’d. The polygraph is an interrogation lasting hours. Stick to your guns and don’t let them rattle you. Expect to be accused of lying because that is standard procedure.
The subjects of the relevant questions on the polygraph are not secret. They’ll be about the accuracy and completeness of the information you provided in your application, whether you’ve divulged classified information to any one unauthorized to receive it, whether you’ve had any unreported foreign contacts, whether anyone directed you to seek employment with the agency with which you’re applying, and the like.
If you’re taking a “full-scope” or “lifestyle” polygraph, there will also be questions about whether you have committed any major undetected crimes and whether you’ve used or sold any illegal drugs beyond that which you disclosed on SF-86. There may also be an inquisition into your pornography viewing habits and whether you’ve viewed any child sexual abuse material.
The interrogation is not a test to see if you’re mentally stable. As @naughtypetey pointed out, a key objective is to elicit any disqualifying admission(s) that the subject might be induced to make.
It’s also possible to fail and be disqualified based on polygraph chart readings alone, in the absence of any disqualifying admissions.
For further details on polygraph policy and procedure, including specifics of the techniques used by various federal agencies, see our free book, The Lie Behind the Lie Detector (especially Chapter 3).
Hi, so I apparently failed on the part about serious crimes, and essentially elicited an answer out of me about something that didn’t lead to a criminal investigation. I asked the invigilator if i failed but they said that it’s up to the adjudicator. psych evaluation was straightforward, but now i’m uncertain about my status now. I did admit to the piracy stuff, told the invigilator that i did it cuz i couldn’t afford it, but if i had the financial means i’d buy it, asked me if told to would i stop, and i said yes. but yeah, not confident at all, just gotta wait two weeks until my fate is decided lmao.
If the three-letter agency with which you applied is either the CIA or NSA, you should note that these two agencies typically use a polygraph technique called the relevant/irrelevant test, and that virtually every candidate is at first told that they’re having problems and will be badgered for admissions. If no disqualifying admission is made, the candidate is typically invited back for one or more séances during which the accusations and badgering for admissions are repeated. A total of three sessions is common, and sometimes even a fourth or fifth polygraph interrogation is conducted.
This is not always the case. Sometimes entirely new accusations are made, and in many cases, on the second try the person passes with no issues whatsoever… which tends to invalidate all the “issues” from the first test.
This guy consistently gives awful advice and points on this forum. Would ignore.
Mine went pretty smoothly. He did say the machine didn’t like my serious crimes response once then never mentioned it again. That was pretty much it. I voluntarily disclosed some stuff from many years ago that I knew wouldn’t DQ me and was long since mitigated. Maybe that helped? Or maybe I’m just a Unicorn… 