Introductory High School Subject Distribution
This is a template distribution used by NAQT for its Introductory Invitational Series question sets “A sets.”
Regular Invitational Series (sets whose number is not followed by ‘A’) use a slightly different distribution.
| Category Name | Weights |
Per Set
(12 Packets) Tossup / Bonus | Per Packet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Literature | 38 | 46 / 46 | 3.8 / 3.8 |
| Religious Literature | 4 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Judeo Christian Literature | 7 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Non Judeo Christian Literature | 4 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| English Literature | 56 | 28 / 28 | 2.3 / 2.3 |
| American Literature | 50 | 14 / 14 | 1.2 / 1.2 |
| British Literature | 50 | 14 / 14 | 1.2 / 1.2 |
| Non English Literature | 17 | 9 / 8 | 0.8 / 0.7 |
| European Literature | 12 | 6 / 6 | 0.5 / 0.5 |
| World Literature | 5 | 3 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Young Reader Literature | 5 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Any Literature | 9 | 5 / 5 | 0.4 / 0.4 |
| Science and Math | 59 | 72 / 70 | 6.0 / 5.8 |
| Math | 35 | 22 / 21 | 1.8 / 1.8 |
| Computation | 23 | 13 / 11 | 1.1 / 0.9 |
| Theory | 19 | 9 / 10 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Science | 81 | 50 / 49 | 4.2 / 4.1 |
| Physics | 22 | 14 / 13 | 1.2 / 1.1 |
| Astronomy | 7 | 4 / 5 | 0.3 / 0.4 |
| Non Solar System | 1 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Any Astronomy | 2 | 2 / 4 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| Biology | 22 | 14 / 13 | 1.2 / 1.1 |
| Anatomy Medicine Biology | 25 | 3 / 4 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| Cell Molecular Biology | 25 | 4 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.2 |
| Organismal Population Biology | 25 | 3 / 4 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| Non Medicine Biology | 15 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Any Biology | 10 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Chemistry | 15 | 9 / 9 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Non Element | 2 | 6 / 6 | 0.5 / 0.5 |
| Any Chemistry | 1 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Computer Science | 3 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Earth Science | 5 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Other Science | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Any Science | 5 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Fine Arts | 19 | 23 / 23 | 1.9 / 1.9 |
| Visual | 38 | 10 / 10 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Painting | 12 | 6 / 5 | 0.5 / 0.4 |
| Architecture | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Sculpture | 4 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Other | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Music | 38 | 10 / 10 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Composers Works | 12 | 6 / 6 | 0.5 / 0.5 |
| Jazz | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Instruments Theory ClassicalPerformers | 6 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Any Music | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Performance | 8 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Opera | 100 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Dance | 5 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Theater | 5 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Any Performance | 10 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Any Fine Arts | 6 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| History | 48 | 59 / 57 | 4.9 / 4.8 |
| American History | 40 | 22 / 22 | 1.8 / 1.8 |
| American Military History | 7 | 3 / 4 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| American Govt History | 17 | 10 / 9 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| American Social History | 12 | 7 / 7 | 0.6 / 0.6 |
| American History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| European History | 23 | 13 / 12 | 1.1 / 1.0 |
| British History | 8 | 5 / 6 | 0.4 / 0.5 |
| French History | 3 | 3 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Russian History | 3 | 3 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| German History | 3 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Italian History | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| World History | 18 | 10 / 10 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Asian History | 8 | 4 / 5 | 0.3 / 0.4 |
| Chinese History | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Japanese History | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Indian History | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Middle Eastern History | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Asian History | 4 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| African History | 3 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| South American History | 3 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| North American History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Mexican History | 2 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Canadian History | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Other North American History | 2 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Ancient History | 8 | 5 / 4 | 0.4 / 0.3 |
| Ancient Greece History | 2 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Ancient Rome History | 3 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Non Classical | 3 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Cross History | 18 | 9 / 9 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Religious History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Exploration History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Europe History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Non America Non Europe History | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Any History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Geography | 19 | 23 / 23 | 1.9 / 1.9 |
| North American Geography | 30 | 7 / 7 | 0.6 / 0.6 |
| World Geography | 70 | 16 / 16 | 1.3 / 1.3 |
| European Geography | 25 | 4 / 4 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Asian Geography | 30 | 4 / 5 | 0.3 / 0.4 |
| African Geography | 20 | 4 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.2 |
| South American Geography | 10 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Any World Geography | 15 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Mythology | 5 | 7 / 6 | 0.6 / 0.5 |
| Classical Myth | 60 | 4 / 4 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Scandinavian Myth | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Non European Myth | 10 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Nonclassical Myth | 10 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Any Myth | 10 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Pop Culture Sports | 16 | 20 / 19 | 1.7 / 1.6 |
| Sports | 25 | 5 / 5 | 0.4 / 0.4 |
| Major Sport | 12 | 3 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Baseball | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Modern | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Any Time | 10 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Football | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Modern | 10 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Any Time | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Basketball | 2 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Modern | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Any Time | 10 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Minor Sport | 6 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Modern | 2 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Any Time | 3 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Any Sports | 7 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Modern | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Any Time | 1 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Pop Culture | 75 | 15 / 14 | 1.2 / 1.2 |
| TV | 18 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Pop Culture TV Modern | 1 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Pop Culture TV Any Time | 1 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Music | 18 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Pop Culture Music Modern | 1 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Pop Culture Music Any Time | 1 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Film | 18 | 3 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Pop Culture Film Modern | 1 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Pop Culture Film Any Time | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Video Games | 16 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Musicals | 4 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Comics | 4 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Other | 6 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Pop Culture Other Modern | 4 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Pop Culture Other Any Time | 4 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Any | 12 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Social Science | 4 | 4 / 5 | 0.3 / 0.4 |
| Anthropology Sociology | 16 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Archaeology | 8 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Economics | 16 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Government | 12 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Jurisprudence | 4 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Political Phil | 4 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Psychology | 16 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Any Social Science | 6 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Theo Phil | 4 | 4 / 4 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Theology | 40 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Philosophy | 60 | 3 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Current Events | 15 | 18 / 17 | 1.5 / 1.4 |
| Business | 5 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Science | 5 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| US Current Events | 50 | 8 / 7 | 0.7 / 0.6 |
| Political | 30 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Social | 30 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Any | 20 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| World Current Events | 50 | 8 / 8 | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| Political | 30 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Social | 30 | 3 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Any | 20 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Miscellaneous | 10 / 16 | 12 / 18 | 1.0 / 1.5 |
| Mixed | 18 / 35 | 10 / 16 | 0.8 / 1.3 |
| Pure Academic | 10 / 21 | 6 / 10 | 0.5 / 0.8 |
| Impure Academic | 8 / 14 | 4 / 6 | 0.3 / 0.5 |
| Mixed or General Knowledge | 5 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
The Weights column gives the numeric weights associated with each category; these are relative to the weights of sibling categories. If, for example, a category had two children, one with weight 2 and the other with weight 3, then the first would receive 40% of questions (2 / (2+3)) and the second would receive 60%. If two weights are specified, then tossups and bonuses are treated differently.
The Per Set column shows the total number of tossups and bonuses in that category for the entire set.
The Per Packet column shows the per-set numbers divided by the number of packets in the set. The total number of tossups in this category in a single packet will be this number either rounded up or down; the bonuses follow a similar constraint. In addition, a single set will never have a packet in which both of those numbers are rounded up and another in which both of those numbers are rounded down.
Question sets may differ slightly in that in each category (not only the innermost categories), at most one question may be shifted from tossup to bonus (or vice versa). For example, if a category is listed as 0/1 here, it does not mean that every question set will have a bonus and no set will have a tossup; there is an equal chance that the one question would be a tossup or a bonus.