When does the rejection letter come after the polygraph?

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

I took a polygraph about six months ago and then went into adjudication shortly thereafter. The polygraph was literally an all-day interrogation (yep, I arrived at sunrise, left at sunset) but I followed the golden rule of not making any confessions. This was for TS/SCI with an IC/DOD contractor. I know adjudication can take several months or even a year.

If I were to be rejected for security or suitability reasons, wouldn’t that letter come rather quickly? How soon after a polygraph or after adjudication starts are rejected applicants usually contacted?

I am hoping that no news is good news and this long wait means I have a fighting chance of getting cleared.

2

It sounds like they didn’t tell you if you passed or not? Which is abnormal.

3

That’s a little different, usually they don’t let them go longer than four hours, sometimes less.

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4

If you had been rejected based on polygraph chart readings, then I expect such rejection would not have taken very long at all.

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5

While it is standard procedure for polygraph operators to inform subjects who don’t pass about the outcome (and to conduct a post-test interrogation), those who pass are typically not immediately and directly informed of this outcome.

6

So my entire process was abnormal then. Not being told if I passed or failed and the all-day testing (really more of an interrogation).

I will disagree with you guys though because from talking to other cleared people and reading through all the online forums, many applicants are not told if they passed or failed explicitly. Those who sign a confession or are escorted out early basically failed. Most get told their file will go to quality control for final review; this is what I was told.

As for the all day session, I was coming from out-of-town and told not to schedule departure until late evening in case of additional testing. I guess the second half of the day was my “additional testing.”

So . . . does no rejection letter have six months indicate good news?

7

Been told my numbers looked great, no call back. Guess what? Called back. Told I did terrible…“lit up like a christmas tree over here!” No call back. I equate the honesty of polygraphers with that of timeshare sales staff. Which is to say…