POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION TEST

RULES IN THE FORMULATION OF TEST QUESTIONS

 Question must be simple and direct.
 They must not involve legal terminology such as rape, homicide, etc.
 They must be answerable by yes or no
 Must be short as possible
 Their meaning must be clear and unmistakable phrased in a language that the subject can easily
understand
 They must not be in the form of accusation
 Question must never contain an inference which presupposes knowledge on the part of the subject
 All questions must refer to one offense only
 All question must refer to only one element of an offense
 They must not contain interferences to one’s religion, races, or belief

TYPES OF QUESTIONS
1. RELEVANT QUESTION – these are direct question having an extreme and specific relationship to the
crime or matter under investigation and these are primary or key question ask by the examiner in order
to solve a specific issue. Relevant question is classified into two:
a. STRONG RELEVANT OR PRIMARY OR CRUCIAL QUESTION – these questions are intended
and created to test for direct participation only and specifically designed to produce an
emotional response in guilty subject.
b. WEAK RELEVANT OR SECONDARY QUESTION – these are question concern in several
secondary aspects of the crime or problem and often deal with guilty knowledge and partial
involvement.
2. IRRELEVANT QUESTION – these are questions devised without definite relationship with the case
under investigation. They are intended to establish subject’s physiological norm and to lessen the
excitement stage produced by relevant question.
3. EVIDENCE CONNECTING QUESTIONS – this is intended to arouse the guilty subject and focus his
attention on the probability of incriminating proof that would tend to establish his guilt. In formulating the
question, the examiner must know from the investigator whether or not pieces of evidences were
collected from the scene of the crime.
4. KNOWLEDGE QUESTION – this question is intended to discover whether the subject possesses
information regarding the identity of the offender, or as to the location of the evidence or other
secondary elements of the facts of the case under investigation.
5. SACRIFICE QUESTION – this is intended to obtain responses usually produced by the introduction of
the first relevant question in the sequence. These divulge the subject’s norm plus stimulus and
excitement stage.
6. CONTROL QUESTION – this is a question intended to generate a response in an innocent subject and
provide the basis for assessing the subject’s perceptual set. It is classified into two:
a. PRIMARY CONTROL QUESTION – is based on known lie. It must concern about actions that
transpired within three (3) to five (5) years time prior to case under investigation occurred.
b. SECONDARY CONTROL QUESTION – more precise in nature and is based on another
experience of unlawful activity, which will improve the chance for responsiveness. Its range
covers up to the case under investigation.
7. SYMPTOMATIC QUESTION – these are three groups of question place as one by Backster and they
are intended to verify the previous charts and detect indirect participation or guilty knowledge. The “S”
stands for suspect, the “K” stands for know, and the “Y” stands for you.

TYPES OF TEST TECHNIQUES COMMONLY USED IN POLYGRAPH TEST

1. R/I TECHNIQUE – this examination is composed of five (5) tests.
TEST I. GENERAL QUESTION TEST – the purpose is to get the standard tracing of the subject and to
establish a true telling pattern for the initial part of the record. These are sequence of relevant, irrelevant
and control question asked in a designed order. The questions are arranged in order to contrast the
subject’s responses between relevant question and control question. The answer to the question is
restricted to yes or no only.
The sequence and sample of General Question Test are as follows:
1Q – Irrelevant – Is your first name Tanggol?
 2Q - Irrelevant – Do you know that today is Wednesday?
3Q – Weak Relevant – Between 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm of October 1, 2024, did you open the table
drawer of Mr. John Suave?
4Q – Irrelevant – Are you married?
5Q – Strong Relevant – Were you the one who actually stole the missing Php 50,000.00 cash of Mr.
John Suave?
6Q – Control – Before attaining the age of 25 have you ever stolen anything?
7Q – Irrelevant – Do you know how to read?
8Q – Evidence Connecting – Were the bunch of keys recovered under the table of Mr. John Suave
yours?
9Q – Knowledge – Do you know who stole the cash money of Mr. John Suave?
10Q – Secondary Control – Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?
The purpose of this test: The first two (2) Irrelevant Questions are designed to condition the subject to have
standard tracing and to establish truth-telling pattern for the primary part of the record.
TEST II. CARD OR NUMBER TEST – upon finishing of the first test, here is another part of the test, the
examiner will show to the subject seven (7) variously numbered cards, face down. The cards are set in
such a way the examiner will right away know which card has been chosen by the subject. The numer 7,
11, and 13 should not be used because other subjects are too superstitious and number 6 and 9 shout not
be included to avoid confusion on the part of the subject. The cards with numbers 15, 8, 5, 3, 4, 14, and 12
are used. The purpose is to check the possible deliberate distortion when the chosen number is asked and
to obtain a chart wherein the subject is not under stress.
TEST III. SPOT RESPONDER TEST – this test contains question previously asked question in General
Question Test. The purpose is to determine the responsiveness of the subject to crucial question on spot
responses. With the same number of the same question on the earlier test, the sequence would be:
1Q – Irrelevant – Is your first name Tanggol?
3Q – Weak Relevant – Between 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm of October 1, 2024, did you open the table
drawer of Mr. John Suave?
2Q - Irrelevant – Do you know that today is Wednesday?
5Q – Strong Relevant – Were you the one who actually stole the missing Php 50,000.00 cash of Mr.
John Suave?
4Q – Irrelevant – Are you married?
6Q – Control – Before attaining the age of 25 have you ever stolen anything?
7Q – Irrelevant – Do you know how to read?
8Q – Evidence Connecting – Were the bunch of keys recovered under the table of Mr. John Suave
yours?
9Q – Knowledge – Do you know who stole the cash money of Mr. John Suave?
10Q – Secondary Control – Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?

TEST IV. MIXED QUESTIONS – the test is the same with Test III but questions of GQT is again mixed. the
purpose is to compare the degree of reaction between the relevant and control questions. The sequence of
the questions are as follows :
4Q – Irrelevant – Are you married?
1Q – Irrelevant – Is your first name Tanggol?
9Q – Knowledge – Do you know who stole the cash money of Mr. John Suave?
6Q – Control – Before attaining the age of 25 have you ever stolen anything?
2Q - Irrelevant – Do you know that today is Wednesday?
3Q – Weak Relevant – Between 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm of October 1, 2024, did you open the table
drawer of Mr. John Suave?
10Q – Secondary Control – Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?
5Q – Strong Relevant – Were you the one who actually stole the missing Php 50,000.00 cash of Mr.
John Suave?
6Q – Control – Before attaining the age of 25 have you ever stolen anything?
8Q – Evidence Connecting – Were the bunch of keys recovered under the table of Mr. John Suave
yours?
10Q – Secondary Control – Have you ever stolen anything from your current employment?

TEST V. SILENT ANSWER TEST – a confirmatory test. In this test the subject is instructed by the
examiner to avoid from giving any verbal answer to the questions that are to be asked of him during the
 test. The subject is instructed to pay attention to each question and answer the question only to himself,
silently.

2. SUPPLEMENTARY TEST/YES TEST – in cases where there is a distortion arises on the general question
test, card or third test, this should be administered before the mixed question test. This is performed by
giving the instruction to the subject to answer ‘yes” to all questions to be asked.
The control questions are to be removed as a preventive measure for the subject to avoid from being
concerned over the control questions and have a temptation to distort the polygraph record.

3. GUILT COMPLEX TEST – if the respond on the previous test (yes test) is doubtful, it becomes essential to
conduct this test. This consist of a test concerning fabricated incident if a similar nature but one which appears
to be real in so far as the subject is concerned.
The purpose of this test is to compare the responses with those that emerge on the actual test record when
questions were asked about the issue under investigation.

4. PEAK OF TENSION TEST – this test is applicable only in cases where the subject has not been informed
by the investigator or by other persons or other sources of all the vital facts of the offense in the question. The
examiner will prepare either five (5), seven (7), or nine (9) questions and one of them has the specific bearing
on the case under investigation.
Example:
1Q – Introductory phrase + Padding - Do you know whether the stolen watch from Allan is a Seiko?
2Q – Padding – Is it an Omega?
3Q – Padding – Is it a Rolex?
4Q – Relevant – Is it a Timex?
5Q – Padding – Is it Guess?
5. BACKSTER ZONE COMPARISON TEST - contains three Zones (red, green and black), with comparison of
responses between two of the Zones (red and green) for a determination of truth or deception. The ZCT aims
to evaluate and compare physiological responses to specific types of questions to determine the truthfulness or
deception of the subject undergoing the examination.
The examiner then analyzes the data to determine if there is a significant difference in the responses
between the relevant and comparison questions. If the responses to the relevant questions are more
pronounced than those to the comparison questions, it may indicate deception.
COLOR ZONES IDENTIFYING BZCT TYPE OF QUESTIONS:
1. RED ZONE – Strong Relevant Questions
2. GREEN ZONE – Probable Lie Comparison Question/Control Question
3. BLACK ZONE – Symptomatic (outside issues)
The BZCT examination is composed of four (4) tests:
TEST I. ZCT without SKY (one chart)
TEST II. CARD OR NUMBER TEST
TEST III. ZCT without SKY (one chart)
TEST IV. ZCT with SKY (one chart)
Sequence of BZCT:
1Q - Irrelevant - Is your first name Pedro?
2Q – Sacrifice Relevant - Regarding the stolen watch and gold coin collection, do you intend to answer
each question truthfully about that?
3Q – Symptomatic - Are you completely convinced that I will not ask you questions on this test that has
already been reviewed?
4Q – Probable lie (Control) - Can you remember stealing anything at all before you were 21 years old?
5Q – Strong Relevant - Did you steal the watch?
6Q - Probable lie (Control) - Other than what you told me about, have you ever stolen other things?
7Q - Strong Relevant - Did you steal the watch of Ana Mercado?
8Q – Symptomatic - Is there something else you are afraid that I will ask you a question about even
though I told you I would not?
9Q – Guilt Complex - Did you steal the gold coin collection?
10Q – Weak Relevant - Do you know the brand name of the stolen watch?
11Q – Do you “S” SUSPECT - Do you SUSPECT anyone in particular of having stolen the watch of Ana
Mercado?
12Q – Do you “K” KNOW - Do you KNOW for sure who stole the watch of Ana Mercado?
13Q – Did “Y” YOU - Did YOU steal the watch of Ana Mercado?