CPE Accreditation and Training 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency oversees polygraph examiner licensing requirements for national security positions?
- Department of Justice
- Office of Personnel Management (Correct answer)
- Department of Homeland Security
- National Security Agency
Correct answer: Office of Personnel Management
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sets federal polygraph standards for personnel security and suitability determinations.
Question 2: How many hours of supervised polygraph examinations are typically required by the APA for full membership?
- 100 hours
- 200 hours (Correct answer)
- 500 hours
- 1,000 hours
Correct answer: 200 hours
The American Polygraph Association requires 200 hours of supervised polygraph examination experience for full membership qualification.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a polygraph internship program?
- To reduce examination costs for agencies
- To provide supervised practical experience under a licensed examiner (Correct answer)
- To replace formal classroom instruction
- To certify examiners for federal employment only
Correct answer: To provide supervised practical experience under a licensed examiner
Polygraph internships provide hands-on, supervised practical experience where trainees conduct real examinations under the guidance of a licensed, experienced examiner.
Question 4: Which document formally recognizes a polygraph training school as meeting established professional standards?
- State business license
- APA accreditation certificate (Correct answer)
- FBI endorsement letter
- EEOC compliance report
Correct answer: APA accreditation certificate
APA accreditation certification formally recognizes that a polygraph training school meets the professional and curriculum standards established by the American Polygraph Association.
Question 5: A polygraph examiner who fails to complete required continuing education by the renewal deadline should:
- Continue practicing until the next cycle
- Immediately cease conducting examinations until requirements are met (Correct answer)
- Apply for a temporary waiver automatically
- Transfer their license to another jurisdiction
Correct answer: Immediately cease conducting examinations until requirements are met
Examiners who fail to meet continuing education deadlines must stop conducting examinations until they fulfill the requirements and renew their credentials.
Question 6: What distinguishes a Certified Polygraph Examiner (CPE) from an intern examiner?
- CPEs only work in law enforcement settings
- CPEs have completed required training, supervised exams, and passed a certification exam (Correct answer)
- CPEs are exempt from continuing education
- CPEs work exclusively on federal contracts
Correct answer: CPEs have completed required training, supervised exams, and passed a certification exam
A CPE has completed the full accredited training program, accumulated required supervised examination hours, and passed the certification examination.
Question 7: Which organization publishes the Model Policy on Polygraph Examiner Training and Accreditation used by many state licensing boards?
- American Bar Association
- American Polygraph Association (Correct answer)
- National Institute of Justice
- Society for Human Resource Management
Correct answer: American Polygraph Association
The American Polygraph Association publishes model policies on training and accreditation that many state licensing boards adopt or use as a framework.
CPE Accreditation and Training 2
Which federal agency oversees polygraph examiner licensing requirements for national security positions?