How a polygraph test works<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThe examination was conducted by the National Association of Polygraph Examiners of Ukraine (NAPU), CORE Team\u2019s partner in this area. The examination was conducted by Ihor Ishchuk, a psychologist, polygraph examiner and founder of NAPU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the pre-test interview, the expert immediately pointed out one key detail: the candidate\u2019s real goal was not to get a job, but to study the screening process itself. This matters because an accurate polygraph result depends on whether the respondent has genuine motivation to undergo the examination and understands the consequences of failing it. The logic is roughly as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI fail the screening \u2192 I won\u2019t get the job \u2192 I\u2019ll be left without income and a reservation from mobilisation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without this internal chain of consequences, the body\u2019s reactions are not informative and the examination loses its purpose. So instead of a full test, the conversation lasted about two hours and focused on explaining the methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thedefender.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/screenshot-2026-07-28-at-07.20.00-1024x680.webp\")
Roman Sudolskyi undergoes a polygraph examination. Screenshot from NAPU video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cSince I couldn\u2019t fool the expert, we spent the next two hours talking about the specifics of polygraph examinations and also testing the machine on me,\u201d says Roman Sudolsky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scale and reasons behind the demand<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAccording to Ishchuk, the market for polygraph examinations has grown at least fivefold since the start of the full-scale war, with defence companies accounting for most of the demand. NAPU is currently the largest practical hub for polygraph examiners in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The examination consists of three stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Preparation<\/strong> \u2014 the client and polygraph examiner determine which risks are most relevant to the specific company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pre-test interview <\/strong>\u2014 the polygraph examiner \u0443\u0442\u043e\u0447\u043d\u044e\u0454 the list of questions based on the candidate\u2019s background.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Main examination <\/strong>\u2014 the respondent\u2019s physiological reactions are recorded while they answer the questions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
This is followed by a post-test interview and preparation of the final report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The topics covered vary depending on the client, but usually include three areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Substance use and other dependencies (alcohol, drugs, debt)<\/strong> \u2014 the risk is assessed not simply based on whether a person has used substances, but on whether this is connected to their work: whether the candidate brought substances onto the premises, sold them, or had conflicts or debts as a result.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Disclosure of confidential information<\/strong>. According to Ishchuk, it is practically impossible to find someone who has never violated an NDA, since such agreements formally prohibit any discussion of work. Therefore, the polygraph examiner looks not simply at whether information was disclosed, but whether the candidate benefited from it or passed information to competitors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Links to Russia, Belarus or temporarily occupied territories<\/strong> \u2014 the focus is not simply on whether a candidate has relatives in these countries or territories, but on the nature of those contacts: whether they have joint business interests or property, and what views on the war those relatives express.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Screening people out before they even enter the room<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nOne notable effect of the methodology appears even before the actual examination. According to Ishchuk, when a group of candidates includes people who are undesirable for a company, some of them simply do not show up for the scheduled appointment for one reason or another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What the machine records<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDuring the demonstration, the candidate was connected to a standard set of sensors: two pneumatic tubes to record breathing, skin-conductance sensors attached to the fingers, two sensors measuring cardiovascular activity, a microphone to detect changes in the voice and a vibration sensor in the chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The demonstration question focused on the candidate\u2019s name. The polygraph examiner successively called out different names, and the respondent had to answer \u201cno\u201d to each one, including their own. On the electrodermal activity scale, the reaction to the \u201cwrong\u201d names gradually faded \u2014 a natural process of adaptation. When the candidate\u2019s real name was mentioned, the reaction on this scale was the most pronounced of all the questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\u041f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0432\u0456\u0440\u043a\u0430](\"https:\/\/thedefender.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/screenshot-2026-07-28-at-07.39.05-1024x647.webp\")
Roman Sudolsky undergoes a polygraph examination. Screenshot from NAPU video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAccording to Ishchuk, this approach allows the polygraph examiner to assess not the content of the answer, but the physiological reaction of the body, which is much harder to consciously control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy answer and my body\u2019s reaction to it showed the expert that I was trying to hide the truth from him,\u201d Roman says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The expert\u2019s overall conclusion was: \u201cA polygraph is a risk-minimisation tool. Even the worst polygraph examiner will filter out the riskiest candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Psychodiagnostics: What personality tests reveal<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nThe second part of the screening is psychodiagnostics \u2014 a set of tests designed to assess a candidate\u2019s personality traits. The author of this article also went through this part of the process himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main block is a comprehensive seven-part assessment that takes about two hours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Cognitive ability assessment<\/strong> \u2014 analytical, spatial and mathematical reasoning, as well as the ability to generalise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Szondi Test (taken three times)<\/strong> \u2014 a method in which choosing photographs of people who evoke feelings of attraction or aversion is interpreted as an indicator of hidden personality traits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Assessment of interpersonal needs <\/strong>\u2014 a questionnaire based on William Schutz\u2019s theory that looks at a person\u2019s need for contact, influence and emotional closeness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cattell Test <\/strong>\u2014 an assessment of personality structure based on 16 factors, including emotional stability, dominance, anxiety, self-control and others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- L\u00fcscher Color Test <\/strong>\u2014 an additional block conducted before the final stage of the Szondi Test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Separately, on another day, the candidate undergoes an assessment of personality accentuations across 11 psychological scales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I couldn\u2019t fool the expert, we spent the next two hours talking about the specifics of polygraph examinations and also testing the machine on me,\u201d says Roman Sudolsky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scale and reasons behind the demand<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Ishchuk, the market for polygraph examinations has grown at least fivefold since the start of the full-scale war, with defence companies accounting for most of the demand. NAPU is currently the largest practical hub for polygraph examiners in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The examination consists of three stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is followed by a post-test interview and preparation of the final report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The topics covered vary depending on the client, but usually include three areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One notable effect of the methodology appears even before the actual examination. According to Ishchuk, when a group of candidates includes people who are undesirable for a company, some of them simply do not show up for the scheduled appointment for one reason or another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What the machine records<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During the demonstration, the candidate was connected to a standard set of sensors: two pneumatic tubes to record breathing, skin-conductance sensors attached to the fingers, two sensors measuring cardiovascular activity, a microphone to detect changes in the voice and a vibration sensor in the chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The demonstration question focused on the candidate\u2019s name. The polygraph examiner successively called out different names, and the respondent had to answer \u201cno\u201d to each one, including their own. On the electrodermal activity scale, the reaction to the \u201cwrong\u201d names gradually faded \u2014 a natural process of adaptation. When the candidate\u2019s real name was mentioned, the reaction on this scale was the most pronounced of all the questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Ishchuk, this approach allows the polygraph examiner to assess not the content of the answer, but the physiological reaction of the body, which is much harder to consciously control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy answer and my body\u2019s reaction to it showed the expert that I was trying to hide the truth from him,\u201d Roman says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The expert\u2019s overall conclusion was: \u201cA polygraph is a risk-minimisation tool. Even the worst polygraph examiner will filter out the riskiest candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second part of the screening is psychodiagnostics \u2014 a set of tests designed to assess a candidate\u2019s personality traits. The author of this article also went through this part of the process himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main block is a comprehensive seven-part assessment that takes about two hours:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Separately, on another day, the candidate undergoes an assessment of personality accentuations across 11 psychological scales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Screening people out before they even enter the room<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Psychodiagnostics: What personality tests reveal<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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