While every employer endeavors to hire from among the best applicants available, there is a special impetus for the public sector where open competition, equality of opportunity, and employment of the best qualified are specifically mandated. Written testing and test development are primary functions in carrying out this mandate for employment on the basis of merit. Therefore, written test questions, or items, represent a major employee selection resource.

The Western Region Item Bank (WRIB), provides the opportunity to maximize that resource through the use of computer technology and cooperation with other public agencies.