FAY, Circuit Judge:
In this case, we revisit the issue of the admissibility at trial of polygraph expert testimony and examination evidence. Julio Piccinonna appeals his conviction on two counts of knowingly making false material statements to a Grand Jury in violation of Title IV of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. 18 U.S.C. 1623 (1982). Picci-nonna argues that the trial judge erred in refusing to admit the testimony of his polygraph expert and the examination results. Because of the significant progress made in the field of polygraph testing over the past forty years and its increasingly widespread use, we reexamine our per se rule of exclusion and fashion new principles to govern the admissibility of polygraph evidence. Accordingly, we remand the case to the trial court to reconsider the admissibility of Piccinonna’s polygraph test results in light of the principles we espouse today.
I. Background
Julio Piccinonna has been in the waste disposal business in South Florida for over twenty-five years. In 1983, a Grand Jury conducted hearings to investigate antitrust violations in the garbage business. The government believed that South Florida firms in the waste disposal business had agreed not to compete for each other’s accounts, and to compensate one another when one firm did not adhere to the agreement and took an account from another firm.
Piccinonna was compelled to testify before the Grand Jury pursuant to a grant of immunity. The immunity, however, did not protect Piccinonna from prosecution for perjury committed during his testimony. Piccinonna testified that he had not heard of the agreement between garbage companies to refrain from soliciting each other’s accounts and to compensate each other for taking accounts. The Grand Jury, however, also heard testimony from several witnesses involved in the disposal industry who implicated Piccinonna in the garbage industry agreement. On August 1, 1985, Piccinonna was indicted on four counts of perjury.
Prior to trial, Piccinonna requested that the Government stipulate to the admission into evidence of the results of a polygraph test which would be administered subsequently. The Government refused to stipulate to the admission of any testimony regarding the polygraph test or its results. Despite the Government’s refusal, George B. Slattery, a licensed polygraph examiner, tested Piccinonna on November 25, 1985. Piccinonna asserted that the expert’s report left no doubt that he did not lie when he testified before the Grand Jury. (Rl-38-2). On November 27, 1985, Piccinonna filed a motion with the district court requesting a hearing on the admission of the polygraph testimony.1 On January 6,1986, the district court held a hearing on the defendant’s motions. Due to the per se rule, which holds polygraph evidence inadmissible in this circuit, the trial judge refused to admit the evidence. The judge noted, however, that the Eleventh Circuit may wish to reconsider the issue of the admissibility of polygraph evidence since these tests have become much more widely used, particularly by the Government. [1531]*1531Hence, the judge stated that if Piccinonna was convicted, the court would conduct a post-trial hearing to perfect the record for appeal.
Piccinonna was convicted on two counts of making false material declarations concerning a matter the Grand Jury was investigating. The court then conducted a hearing to perfect the record for appeal. At the hearing, the judge ordered the report of the polygraph examination and the complete transcript of the evidentiary hearing conducted in United States v. Irwin Freedman, No. 81-434-CR-ARON O VOTZ to become part of the record. On appeal, Picci-nonna urges us to modify our per se rule excluding polygraph evidence to permit its admission in certain circumstances.
II. The Per Se Rule
In federal courts, the admissibility of expert testimony concerning scientific tests or findings is governed by Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Rule 702 provides:
If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise.
Fed.R.Evid. 702. Under this rule, to admit expert testimony the trial judge must determine that the expert testimony will be relevant2 and will be helpful to the trier of fact.3 In addition, courts require the proponent of the testimony to show that the principle or technique is generally accepted in the scientific community. McCormick, McCormick on Evidence § 203 (3rd ed.1984).
The general acceptance requirement originated in the 1923 case of Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C.Cir.1923). Frye involved a murder prosecution in which the trial court refused to admit results from a systolic blood pressure test, the precursor of the polygraph. The defendant appealed, arguing that the admissibility of the scientific test results should turn only on the traditional rules of relevancy and helpfulness to the trier of fact. The court of appeals disagreed and imposed the requirement that the area of specialty in which the court receives evidence must have achieved general acceptance in the scientific community. Id. 293 F. at 1014. The court stated that “while courts will go a long way in admitting expert testimony deduced from a well-recognized scientific principle or discovery, the thing from which the deduction is made must be sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the particular field in which it belongs.” Id. The court concluded that the systolic blood pressure test lacked the requisite “standing and scientific recognition among physiological and psychological authorities.” Id.
Courts have applied the Frye standard to various types of scientific tests, including the polygraph.4 However, the Frye standard has historically been invoked only selectively to other types of expert testimony, and has been applied consistently only in cases where the admissibility of polygraph evidence was at issue. See McCormick, Scientific Evidence: Defining a New Approach to Admissibility 67 Iowa L.Rev. 879, 884 (1982).5 Most courts had little difficulty with the desirability of excluding polygraph evidence and thus, applied the Frye standard with little comment. Id. at 885. This circuit also has consistently re[1532]*1532affirmed, with little discussion, the inadmissibility of polygraph evidence. United States v. Hilton, 772 F.2d 783, 785 (11th Cir.1985); United States v. Rodriguez, 765 F.2d 1546, 1558 (11th Cir.1985); cf. United States v. Beck, 729 F.2d 1329
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FAY, Circuit Judge:
In this case, we revisit the issue of the admissibility at trial of polygraph expert testimony and examination evidence. Julio Piccinonna appeals his conviction on two counts of knowingly making false material statements to a Grand Jury in violation of Title IV of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. 18 U.S.C. 1623 (1982). Picci-nonna argues that the trial judge erred in refusing to admit the testimony of his polygraph expert and the examination results. Because of the significant progress made in the field of polygraph testing over the past forty years and its increasingly widespread use, we reexamine our per se rule of exclusion and fashion new principles to govern the admissibility of polygraph evidence. Accordingly, we remand the case to the trial court to reconsider the admissibility of Piccinonna’s polygraph test results in light of the principles we espouse today.
I. Background
Julio Piccinonna has been in the waste disposal business in South Florida for over twenty-five years. In 1983, a Grand Jury conducted hearings to investigate antitrust violations in the garbage business. The government believed that South Florida firms in the waste disposal business had agreed not to compete for each other’s accounts, and to compensate one another when one firm did not adhere to the agreement and took an account from another firm.
Piccinonna was compelled to testify before the Grand Jury pursuant to a grant of immunity. The immunity, however, did not protect Piccinonna from prosecution for perjury committed during his testimony. Piccinonna testified that he had not heard of the agreement between garbage companies to refrain from soliciting each other’s accounts and to compensate each other for taking accounts. The Grand Jury, however, also heard testimony from several witnesses involved in the disposal industry who implicated Piccinonna in the garbage industry agreement. On August 1, 1985, Piccinonna was indicted on four counts of perjury.
Prior to trial, Piccinonna requested that the Government stipulate to the admission into evidence of the results of a polygraph test which would be administered subsequently. The Government refused to stipulate to the admission of any testimony regarding the polygraph test or its results. Despite the Government’s refusal, George B. Slattery, a licensed polygraph examiner, tested Piccinonna on November 25, 1985. Piccinonna asserted that the expert’s report left no doubt that he did not lie when he testified before the Grand Jury. (Rl-38-2). On November 27, 1985, Piccinonna filed a motion with the district court requesting a hearing on the admission of the polygraph testimony.1 On January 6,1986, the district court held a hearing on the defendant’s motions. Due to the per se rule, which holds polygraph evidence inadmissible in this circuit, the trial judge refused to admit the evidence. The judge noted, however, that the Eleventh Circuit may wish to reconsider the issue of the admissibility of polygraph evidence since these tests have become much more widely used, particularly by the Government. [1531]*1531Hence, the judge stated that if Piccinonna was convicted, the court would conduct a post-trial hearing to perfect the record for appeal.
Piccinonna was convicted on two counts of making false material declarations concerning a matter the Grand Jury was investigating. The court then conducted a hearing to perfect the record for appeal. At the hearing, the judge ordered the report of the polygraph examination and the complete transcript of the evidentiary hearing conducted in United States v. Irwin Freedman, No. 81-434-CR-ARON O VOTZ to become part of the record. On appeal, Picci-nonna urges us to modify our per se rule excluding polygraph evidence to permit its admission in certain circumstances.
II. The Per Se Rule
In federal courts, the admissibility of expert testimony concerning scientific tests or findings is governed by Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Rule 702 provides:
If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise.
Fed.R.Evid. 702. Under this rule, to admit expert testimony the trial judge must determine that the expert testimony will be relevant2 and will be helpful to the trier of fact.3 In addition, courts require the proponent of the testimony to show that the principle or technique is generally accepted in the scientific community. McCormick, McCormick on Evidence § 203 (3rd ed.1984).
The general acceptance requirement originated in the 1923 case of Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C.Cir.1923). Frye involved a murder prosecution in which the trial court refused to admit results from a systolic blood pressure test, the precursor of the polygraph. The defendant appealed, arguing that the admissibility of the scientific test results should turn only on the traditional rules of relevancy and helpfulness to the trier of fact. The court of appeals disagreed and imposed the requirement that the area of specialty in which the court receives evidence must have achieved general acceptance in the scientific community. Id. 293 F. at 1014. The court stated that “while courts will go a long way in admitting expert testimony deduced from a well-recognized scientific principle or discovery, the thing from which the deduction is made must be sufficiently established to have gained general acceptance in the particular field in which it belongs.” Id. The court concluded that the systolic blood pressure test lacked the requisite “standing and scientific recognition among physiological and psychological authorities.” Id.
Courts have applied the Frye standard to various types of scientific tests, including the polygraph.4 However, the Frye standard has historically been invoked only selectively to other types of expert testimony, and has been applied consistently only in cases where the admissibility of polygraph evidence was at issue. See McCormick, Scientific Evidence: Defining a New Approach to Admissibility 67 Iowa L.Rev. 879, 884 (1982).5 Most courts had little difficulty with the desirability of excluding polygraph evidence and thus, applied the Frye standard with little comment. Id. at 885. This circuit also has consistently re[1532]*1532affirmed, with little discussion, the inadmissibility of polygraph evidence. United States v. Hilton, 772 F.2d 783, 785 (11th Cir.1985); United States v. Rodriguez, 765 F.2d 1546, 1558 (11th Cir.1985); cf. United States v. Beck, 729 F.2d 1329, 1332 (11th Cir.) (court implied that polygraph evidence may be admissible when the parties stipulate to its admissibility), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 981, 105 S.Ct. 383, 83 L.Ed.2d 318 (1984). Our position was derived from former Fifth Circuit precedent excluding polygraph evidence, which we adopted as law in this circuit. Bonner v. City of Prichard, 661 F.2d 1206, 1207 (11th Cir.1981).6
Recently, the application of the Frye standard to exclude polygraph evidence has been subject to growing criticism.7 Since the Frye decision, tremendous advances have been made in polygraph instrumentation and technique.8 Better equipment is being used by more adequately trained polygraph administrators. Further, polygraph tests are used extensively by government agencies. Field investigative agencies such as the FBI, the Secret Service, military intelligence and law enforcement agencies use the polygraph. Thus, even under a strict adherence to the traditional Frye standard, we believe it is no longer accurate to state categorically that polygraph testing lacks general acceptance for use in all circumstances. For this reason, we find it appropriate to reexamine the per se exclusionary rule and institute a rule more in keeping with the progress made in the polygraph field.
III. Differing Approaches to Polygraph Admissibility
Courts excluding polygraph evidence typically rely on three grounds: 1) the unreliability of the polygraph test,9 2) the lack of standardization of polygraph procedure,10 and 3) undue impact on the jury.11 Proponents of admitting polygraph evidence have [1533]*1533attempted to rebut these concerns. With regard to unreliability, proponents stress the significant advances made in the field of polygraphy.12 Professor McCormick argues that the fears of unreliability “are not sufficient to warrant a rigid exclusionary rule. A great deal of lay testimony routinely admitted is at least as unreliable and inaccurate, and other forms of scientific evidence involve risks of instrumental or judgmental error.” McCormick, supra, § 206 at 629. Further, proponents argue that the lack of standardization is being addressed and will progressively be resolved as the polygraph establishes itself as a valid scientific test. Sevilla, Polygraph 1984: Behind the Closed Door of Admissibility, 16 U. West L.A.L.Rev. 5, 19 (1984).13 Finally, proponents argue that there is no evidence that jurors are unduly influenced by polygraph evidence. Id. at 17. In fact, several studies refute the proposition that jurors are likely to give disproportionate weight to polygraph evidence.14
In the wake of new empirical evidence and scholarly opinion which have undercut many of the traditional arguments against admission of polygraph evidence, a substantial number of courts have revisited the admissibility question. Three roughly identifiable approaches to the problem have emerged. First, the traditional approach holds polygraph evidence inadmissible when offered by either party, either as substantive evidence or as relating to the credibility of a witness. McCormick, supra, section 206 at 628.15 Second, a significant number of jurisdictions permit the trial court, in its discretion, to receive polygraph evidence if the parties stipulate to the evidence’s admissibility before the administration of the test and if certain other conditions are met.16 Finally, some courts [1534]*1534permit the trial judge to admit polygraph evidence even in the absence of a stipulation, but only when special circumstances exist.17 In these jurisdictions, the issue is within the sound discretion of the trial judge.
Relying on the typical grounds to exclude polygraph evidence, the Fourth, Fifth and District of Columbia Circuits historically have adhered to the traditional approach of per se inadmissibility. United States v. Brevard, 739 F.2d 180 (4th Cir.1984); United States v. Clark, 598 F.2d 994, 995 (5th Cir.1979), vacated en banc 622 F.2d 917 (1980), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1128, 101 S.Ct. 949, 67 L.Ed.2d 116 (1981); United States v. Skeens, 494 F.2d 1050, 1053 (D.C.Cir.1974). While these circuits have sometimes hinted at the possibility of adopting a more liberal approach, they have consistently returned to per se inadmissibility. See e.g. United States v. Webster, 639 F.2d 174, 186 (4th Cir.) (admissibility of polygraph evidence can be within discretionary powers of trial judge), cert. denied, Christian v. United States (1981), modified in other respects 669 F.2d 185 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 935, 102 S.Ct. 1991, 72 L.Ed.2d 455 (1982); United States v. Brevard, 739 F.2d 180 (4th Cir.1984) (per se inadmissible); United States v. Clark, 622 F.2d 917, 917 (5th Cir.1980) (twelve concurring judges agreed that the per se rule should be reconsidered), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1128, 101 S.Ct. 949, 67 L.Ed.2d 116 (1981); Tyler v. United States, 193 F.2d 24 (D.C.Cir.1951), cert. denied, 343 U.S. 908, 72 S.Ct. 639, 96 L.Ed. 1326 (1952) (not error for trial court to admit polygrapher’s testimony for purpose of deciding whether the defendant’s confession was voluntary); United States v. Skeens, 494 F.2d at 1053 (D.C.Cir.1974) (polygraph evidence per se inadmissible).
The Eighth Circuit has developed a more liberal approach which allows admission of polygraph evidence only when the parties stipulate. Anderson v. United States, 788 F.2d 517, 519 (8th Cir.1986); United States v. Alexander, 526 F.2d 161, 166 (8th Cir.1975). However, another line of Eighth Circuit cases appears to be more permissive in allowing the introduction of polygraph evidence. United States v. Yeo, 739 F.2d 385, 388 (8th Cir.1984); United States v. Oliver, 525 F.2d 731, 736 (8th Cir.1975) (a discretionary rather than a per se exclusionary rule is appropriate). Hence, while the Eighth Circuit falls within the second category, it appears to be leaning toward greater admissibility of polygraph evidence.
[1535]*1535Finally, the Third, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, and the Court of Military Appeals permit admission of polygraph evidence even in the absence of a stipulation when special circumstances exist. The Third and Seventh Circuits permit polygraph evidence to be introduced for the purpose of rebutting a claim by the defendant that his confession was the result of coercion. United States v. Johnson, 816 F.2d 918, 923 (3rd Cir.1987); United States v. Kampiles, 609 F.2d 1233, 1245 (7th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 954, 100 S.Ct. 2923, 64 L.Ed.2d 812 (1980). The Tenth Circuit has permitted the government to introduce the fact that the defendant failed a polygraph test to explain why the police detective had not conducted a more thorough investigation. United States v. Hall, 805 F.2d 1410 (10th Cir.1986). In its attempt to mitigate the potential problems with polygraph evidence, the Sixth Circuit has promulgated a two-step approach to admission. Wolfel v. Holbrook, 823 F.2d 970 (6th Cir.1987), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 108 S.Ct. 1035, 98 L.Ed.2d 999 (1988). “First, the trial court must determine if the proffered evidence is relevant. Second, if the court concludes that the proffered evidence is relevant, it must balance the probative value of the evidence against the hazard of unfair prejudice and/or confusion which could mislead the jury.” Id. at 972. The Ninth Circuit holds polygraph evidence admissible only in instances narrowly tailored to limit the prejudicial impact of the evidence. United States v. Miller, 874 F.2d 1255, 1262 (9th Cir.1989). The Miller court, in considering prior Ninth Circuit cases on this issue, noted that polygraph evidence might be admissible if it is “introduced for a limited purpose that is unrelated to the substantive correctness of the results of the polygraph examination.” Id. at 1261. In United States v. Bowen, 857 F.2d 1337, 1341 (9th Cir.1988), the court held that if “the polygraph evidence is being introduced because it is relevant that a polygraph examination was given, regardless of the result, then it may be admissible ...” Id. at 1341.
The common thread running through the various approaches taken by courts which have modified the per se rule is a recognition that while wholesale exclusion under rule 702 is unwarranted, there must be carefully constructed limitations placed upon the use of polygraph evidence in court. Absent a stipulation by the parties, we are unable to locate any case in which a court has allowed polygraph expert testimony offered as substantive proof of the truth or falsity of the statements made during the polygraph examination. The myriad of “special circumstances” and conditions that have been held to constitute appropriate scenarios for use of polygraph evidence are necessarily rough estimates by the courts of when and where the danger of unfair prejudice due to the admission of the evidence is least significant.
IV. Principles for Admissibility
There is no question that in recent years polygraph testing has gained increasingly widespread acceptance as a useful and reliable scientific tool. Because of the advances that have been achieved in the field which have led to the greater use of polygraph examination, coupled with a lack of evidence that juries are unduly swayed by polygraph evidence, we agree with those courts which have found that a per se rule disallowing polygraph evidence is no longer warranted. Of course, polygraphy is a developing and inexact science, and we continue to believe it inappropriate to allow the admission of polygraph evidence in all situations in which more proven types of expert testimony are allowed. However, as Justice Potter Stewart wrote, “any rule that impedes the discovery of truth in a court of law impedes as well the doing of justice.” Hawkins v. United States, 358 U.S. 74, 81, 79 S.Ct. 136, 140, 3 L.Ed.2d 125 (1958) (concurring). Thus, we believe the best approach in this area is one which balances the need to admit all relevant and reliable evidence against the danger that the admission of the evidence for a given purpose will be unfairly prejudicial. Accordingly we outline two instances where polygraph evidence may be admitted at trial, which we believe achieve the necessary balance.
[1536]*1536A. Stipulation
The first rule governing admissibility of polygraph evidence is one easily applied. Polygraph expert testimony will be admissible in this circuit when both parties stipulate in advance as to the circumstances of the test and as to the scope of its admissibility. The stipulation as to circumstances must indicate that the parties agree on material matters such as the manner in which the test is conducted, the nature of the questions asked, and the identity of the examiner administering the test. The stipulation as to scope of admissibility must indicate the purpose or purposes for which the evidence will be introduced. Where the parties agree to both of these conditions in advance of the polygraph test, evidence of the test results is admissible.
B. Impeachment or Corroboration
The second situation in which polygraph evidence may be admitted is when used to impeach or corroborate the testimony of a witness at trial. Admission of polygraph evidence for these purposes is subject to three preliminary conditions. First, the party planning to use the evidence at trial must provide adequate notice to the opposing party that the expert testimony will be offered. Second, polygraph expert testimony by a party will be admissible only if the opposing party was given reasonable opportunity to have its own polygraph expert administer a test covering substantially the same questions. Failure to provide adequate notice or reasonable opportunity for the opposing side to administer its own test is proper grounds for exclusion of the evidence.
Finally, whether used to corroborate or impeach, the admissibility of the polygraph administrator’s testimony will be governed by the Federal Rules of Evidence for the admissibility of corroboration or impeachment testimony. For example, Rule 608 limits the use of opinion or reputation evidence to establish the credibility of a witness in the following way: “[Ejvidence of truthful character is admissible only after the character of the witness for truthfulness has been attacked by opinion or reputation evidence or otherwise.” Thus, evidence that a witness passed a polygraph examination, used to corroborate that witness’s in-court testimony, would not be admissible under Rule 608 unless or until the credibility of that witness were first attacked. Even where the above three conditions are met, admission of polygraph evidence for impeachment or corroboration purposes is left entirely to the discretion of the trial judge.
Neither of these two modifications to the per se exclusionary rule should be construed to preempt or limit in any way the trial court’s discretion to exclude polygraph expert testimony on other grounds under the Federal Rules of Evidence. Our holding states merely that in the limited circumstances delineated above, the Frye general acceptance test does not act as a bar to admission of polygraph evidence as a matter of law. As we have stated, the chief criterion in determining whether expert testimony is appropriate is whether it will help the trier of fact to resolve the issues. Fed.R.Evid. 702; Worsham v. A.H. Robins Co., 734 F.2d 676, 685 (11th Cir.1984). The expert testimony must also, of course, be relevant. Fed.R.Evid. 401; United States v. Roark, 753 F.2d 991, 994 (11th Cir.1985). Rule 401 defines relevant evidence as evidence “having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.” Further, Rule 403 states that even though relevant, evidence may be excluded by the trial court “if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by consideration of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence.” Thus, we agree with the Ninth Circuit “that polygraph evidence should not be admitted, even for limited purposes, unless the trial court has determined that ‘the probative value of the polygraph evidence outweighs the potential prejudice and time consumption involved in presenting such evidence.' ” United States v. Miller, 874 F.2d 1255 (9th Cir.1989) (quoting Brown v. Darcy, 783 F.2d 1389, 1397 n. 14 (9th Cir.1986)).
Thus under the Federal Rules of Evidence governing the admissibility of expert [1537]*1537testimony, the trial court may exclude polygraph expert testimony because 1) the polygraph examiner’s qualifications are unacceptable; 2) the test procedure was unfairly prejudicial or the test was poorly administered; or 3) the questions were irrelevant or improper. The trial judge has wide discretion in this area, and rulings on admissibility will not be reversed unless a clear abuse of discretion is shown. Worsham, 734 F.2d at 686.
V. Conclusion
We neither expect nor hope that today’s holding will be the final word within our circuit on this increasingly important issue. The advent of new and developing technologies calls for flexibility within the legal system so that the ultimate ends of justice may be served. It is unwise to hold fast to a familiar rule when the basis for that rule ceases to be persuasive. We believe that the science of polygraphy has progressed to a level of acceptance sufficient to allow the use of polygraph evidence in limited circumstances where the danger of unfair prejudice is minimized. We proceed with caution in this area because the reliability of polygraph testing remains a subject of intense scholarly debate. As the field of polygraph testing continues to progress, it may become necessary to reexamine the rules regarding the admissibility of polygraph evidence.
The judgment of conviction is VACATED and the case is REMANDED to the district court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.