Because you just never know when you’re going to have the need, right?

But seriously, it’s not just for criminals anymore. Big corporations sometimes require them for new hires or when checking up on staff being considered for loans or insurance. With some practice and these tips, you should be able to pass but keep your dignity (and some of your secrets) intact.

First of all, it helps to know how they work. The tests measure a few of your body responses and pit them against your “control” answers in order to determine the likelihood of your telling the truth. These are:

Now, on to the advice.

#6. Be physically prepared.

The 24 hours before you’re going to take the test, make sure you stick to your usual regimen in order to keep your mind calm, and make sure you get some good sleep in, too. When it’s time to go, make sure you’re not too hungry – or too full – and that you’re wearing comfortable clothes.

#5. Take your time.

Pausing isn’t taken as a sign of untruth – hurrying is what can distort the results. Go ahead and take a pause before you answer; you can use the time to determine which type of question you’ve been asked and whether or not you’re able to answer it truthfully.

#4. It’s OK to feel nervous – in fact, it might even help.

If you’re nervous about answering the questions, good news – that’s totally normal and tends to give accurate readings. If you feel that you’re so nervous the results might be thrown off, you can check your basic psychological reactions by lying to the control questions, which will then cause the test to assume your answers to the actual questions are accurate.

You can tell the difference by how specific or relevant the questions are. For example, a control question would be “have you ever stolen anything” while a relevant question might be “have you stolen anything from somewhere you work.”

#3. Imagine something pleasant.

This method works best for people who have a strong sense of control over their body’s reactions, because nerves are easier than thinking about something positive.

But if you’ve got a question and realize you need to lie, think about something pleasant – or better yet, try your best to be relaxed throughout the entire test. In a best case scenario, your body will react according to your mental scenario and not the questions at hand.

#2. Do your best not to lie about details.

The more true things you say, the more precise the results will be, but people tend to lie about small things they consider inconsequential. You’ll likely have access to the questions before the test in order to avoid any reaction to their newness, so you should be able to prepare in advance.

#1. Avoid physical tricks.

Tricks like stepping on a pin or biting your tongue every time you need a certain reaction won’t fool experienced experts – in fact, they will do the opposite, and the tests themselves are designed to distinguish physical pain from lies.

If you get caught pulling a trick, your results are likely to be evaluated differently, which likely won’t play in your favor.

There are some instances in which lie detector tests are not recommended (and will likely not be useful), like if you’re pregnant or suffer from heart disease, respiratory illness, have epilepsy, deal with chronic pain, or if the test is being forced.

You should let the person in charge know if any of these apply to you. Otherwise, may the odds be ever in your favor!

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