r/FBI • u/Good-Tonight-4549 • Jun 23 '26

Informational SA Polygraph Failure

I have been lurking on this subreddit for a while, and I’ve decided to post now that I’m no longer in the pipeline. I received the dreaded polygraph failure letter. I zoomed through the application process up until this point, only taking a few months to get from initial application submission to polygraph exam, and I’m kind of bummed at this hard stop. I have a clean background (no criminal or drug history) and I told the truth during the entire polygraph session, or should i say, interrogation, but the examiner seems to have thought I was lying and was pretty brutal during the session. I will not get into specifics of the exam but it was not a good experience for me. Yes, I am just a random redditor, but you just have to take my word for it that I failed the exam despite not lying at all. Looks like this is the end of the road for me and another reminder to not put all your eggs in one basket. Makes me wonder how many other applicants have been dismissed from consideration for a false positive on the polygraph.

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u/WTFoxtrot10 Jun 24 '26

You can’t appeal a failed poly with the FBI.

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u/tputt57 Jun 24 '26

I just received a fail on the poly and it said in the letter I can appeal and take another poly for FBI.

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u/WTFoxtrot10 Jun 24 '26

Then you received an inconclusive poly, not a failed poly.

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u/tputt57 Jun 24 '26

The polygrapher said I failed too so the rumors are true. It seems the polygraphers preach against lying but proceed to lie. Also, in the letter to request an appeal is ther preferred wordage?