Security clearance guide
CI polygraph vs. full-scope polygraph: what job seekers should know
A counterintelligence-scope polygraph and a full-scope polygraph cover different topic areas. Neither one is a clearance level, and the exact requirement comes from the position and the responsible agency or employer.
Reviewed July 13, 2026. Definitions come from current U.S. government guidance; Colorado job counts update from approved direct-employer listings.
The short answer
A CI-scope polygraph focuses on counterintelligence topics. Intelligence Community guidance calls the broader examination an Expanded Scope Polygraph and says it covers the CI topics plus criminal conduct, drug involvement, and falsification of security questionnaires and forms. The same guidance notes that some organizations call it a full-scope polygraph.
Current Colorado jobs naming a polygraph
These are exact employer-stated requirements in Cleared Colorado's current eligible inventory—not an estimate of every polygraph-cleared role in the state.
CI polygraph64
Full-scope polygraph10
Combined current openings74
CI vs. full scope at a glance
CI-scope polygraph
Full-scope polygraph
A polygraph is not a clearance level
Secret, Top Secret, and TS/SCI wording describes clearance eligibility or access requirements. A polygraph is a separate personnel-security vetting component that an agency may require for a particular program or position. DCSA lists a polygraph among possible special requirements beyond an otherwise favorable eligibility determination.
Read a posting as separate fields: required clearance, active-or-obtainable timing, SCI or other access, and any named polygraph. Do not turn “TS/SCI” into “TS/SCI with polygraph” unless the employer actually states the polygraph requirement.
Review the official DCSA clearance FAQ ↗Why the job posting matters
Requirements vary by agency and role. For example, the Intelligence Community careers site says DIA potential employees complete a CI-scope polygraph, while its general clearance guidance says only that some agencies require a polygraph. That is why employer- or agency-specific wording is more useful than assuming one rule applies everywhere.
Named CI requirement
Named full-scope requirement
Polygraph type unspecified
No polygraph stated
Current openings with an explicit requirement
Each listing below names a CI or full-scope polygraph at the employer source. Cleared Colorado preserves that label separately from clearance level and timing.
$177,000 - $265,600
$76,200 - $137,600
$68,900 - $131,100
$133,100 - $199,700
$92,500 - $171,500
Use filters as compatibility tools
The job-board polygraph filter asks what you currently hold. It returns positions whose stated requirement is compatible with that answer; it is not an exact directory of only CI-required or only full-scope-required postings. Always confirm currency, reciprocity, and any new examination with the hiring organization.
Watch for the requirement you hold
Create an accountless alert with your clearance, polygraph, workplace, and freshness preferences. Alerts run only when a newly eligible direct-employer job matches.