Middle School Distribution
This is a template distribution used by NAQT for its 2011-2012 middle school tournament sets. The only difference between actual sets' distributions and this template is that in each category (not only the innermost categories) at most one question may be shifted from tossup to bonus (or vice versa). For instance, if a category is listed as 0/1 here, it does not mean that every set will have a bonus and no set will have a tossup; it will be split approximately 50-50 based on the random number that "salts" the distribution for each packet set.
| Category Name | Weights | Per Packet Set | Per Packet |
| Root | 24 | 240 / 240 | 24.0 / 24.0 |
| Literature | 16 | 39 / 37 | 3.9 / 3.7 |
| Academic_Literature | 20 | 24 / 23 | 2.4 / 2.3 |
| Myth/Religion | 15 | 5 / 4 | 0.5 / 0.4 |
| Mythology | 2 | 3 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Classical_Myth | 60 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Norse_Myth | 10 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Egyptian_Myth | 5 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Nonclassical_Myth | 15 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Religious_Literature | 1 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Christian_Literature | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Non_Christian_Literature | 1 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| English_Literature | 56 | 17 / 16 | 1.7 / 1.6 |
| American_Literature | 50 | 9 / 8 | 0.9 / 0.8 |
| British_Literature | 50 | 8 / 8 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| European_Literature | 8 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| Young_Adult_Literature | 10 | 12 / 12 | 1.2 / 1.2 |
| Misc_Literature | 2 | 3 / 2 | 0.3 / 0.2 |
| Language | 2 | 5 / 5 | 0.5 / 0.5 |
| Science_and_Math | 25 | 61 / 58 | 6.1 / 5.8 |
| Science | 17 | 42 / 39 | 4.2 / 3.9 |
| Physics | 5 | 4 / 3 | 0.4 / 0.3 |
| Astronomy | 10 | 7 / 7 | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| Biology | 15 | 10 / 10 | 1.0 / 1.0 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 4 / 3 | 0.4 / 0.3 |
| Computer_Science | 2 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Earth_Science | 10 | 7 / 7 | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| Technology | 2 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Misc_Science | 10 | 7 / 6 | 0.7 / 0.6 |
| Math | 8 | 19 / 19 | 1.9 / 1.9 |
| Math_Computation | 10 | 10 / 9 | 1.0 / 0.9 |
| Math_Theory | 10 | 9 / 10 | 0.9 / 1.0 |
| Fine_Arts | 5 | 12 / 12 | 1.2 / 1.2 |
| Visual | 38 | 6 / 6 | 0.6 / 0.6 |
| Painting | 12 | 3 / 4 | 0.3 / 0.4 |
| Architecture | 4 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Sculpture | 4 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Visual_Other | 2 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Music | 26 | 4 / 4 | 0.4 / 0.4 |
| Composers_Works | 12 | 3 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Instruments_Theory_Performers | 3 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Misc_Music | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Performance | 5 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Opera | 100 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Dance | 5 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Theater | 5 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Misc_Performance | 10 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Misc_Fine_Arts | 6 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| History | 20 | 48 / 47 | 4.8 / 4.7 |
| American_History | 40 | 17 / 18 | 1.7 / 1.8 |
| American_Military_History | 7 | 3 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| American_Govt_History | 17 | 7 / 8 | 0.7 / 0.8 |
| American_Social_History | 12 | 6 / 5 | 0.6 / 0.5 |
| American_History | 4 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| European_History | 21 | 9 / 9 | 0.9 / 0.9 |
| British_History | 8 | 4 / 5 | 0.4 / 0.5 |
| French_History | 3 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Russian_History | 3 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| German_History | 3 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| World_History | 18 | 8 / 8 | 0.8 / 0.8 |
| Asian_History | 8 | 6 / 5 | 0.6 / 0.5 |
| Chinese_History | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Japanese_History | 1 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Indian_History | 1 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Middle_Eastern_History | 1 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Misc_Asian_History | 4 | 3 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Africa_History | 2 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Latin_American_History | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Ancient_History | 8 | 4 / 3 | 0.4 / 0.3 |
| Ancient_Greece_History | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Ancient_Rome_History | 3 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Ancient_History_Non_Classical | 3 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Religious_History | 4 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Exploration_History | 4 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Misc_Europe_History | 5 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Non_America_Non_Europe_History | 3 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| Misc_History | 6 | 3 / 2 | 0.3 / 0.2 |
| Geography | 10 | 24 / 24 | 2.4 / 2.4 |
| North_American_Geography | 30 | 7 / 7 | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| World_Geography | 70 | 17 / 17 | 1.7 / 1.7 |
| European_Geography | 25 | 4 / 5 | 0.4 / 0.5 |
| Asian_Geography | 30 | 5 / 5 | 0.5 / 0.5 |
| African_Geography | 20 | 3 / 4 | 0.3 / 0.4 |
| South_American_Geography | 10 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Misc_World_Geography | 15 | 3 / 2 | 0.3 / 0.2 |
| PC_Sports | 7 | 17 / 16 | 1.7 / 1.6 |
| Sports | 33 | 6 / 5 | 0.6 / 0.5 |
| Major_Sport | 12 | 3 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| Baseball | 2 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Baseball_Modern | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Baseball_Any_Time | 10 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Football | 2 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Football_Modern | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Football_Any_Time | 10 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Basketball | 2 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Basketball_Modern | 10 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Basketball_Any_Time | 10 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Hockey | 1 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Soccer | 1 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Minor_Sport | 5 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Minor_Sport_Modern | 2 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Minor_Sport_Any_Time | 3 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Misc_Sports | 6 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Misc_Sports_Modern | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Misc_Sports_Any_Time | 1 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Pop_Culture | 67 | 11 / 11 | 1.1 / 1.1 |
| PC_TV | 18 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| PC_TV_Modern | 1 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| PC_TV_Any_Time | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| PC_Music | 18 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| PC_Music_Modern | 1 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| PC_Music_Any_Time | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| PC_Film | 18 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| PC_Film_Modern | 1 | 1 / 2 | 0.1 / 0.2 |
| PC_Film_Any_Time | 1 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| PC_Computer_Games | 4 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| PC_Broadway | 4 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| PC_Comics | 2 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| PC_Other | 8 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| PC_Other_Modern | 4 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| PC_Other_Any_Time | 4 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| PC_Misc | 12 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| Social_Science_and_Philosophy | 2 | 5 / 4 | 0.5 / 0.4 |
| Social_Science | 15 | 3 / 2 | 0.3 / 0.2 |
| Anthropology_Sociology | 16 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Archaeology | 8 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Economics | 16 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Government | 8 | 0 / 1 | 0.0 / 0.1 |
| Jurisprudence | 4 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Political_Phil | 4 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Psychology | 16 | 1 / 0 | 0.1 / 0.0 |
| Misc_Social_Science | 6 | 0 / 0 | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| Theo_Phil | 10 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| Theology | 40 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Philosophy | 60 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| Current_Events | 7 | 17 / 16 | 1.7 / 1.6 |
| CE_Business | 5 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| CE_Science | 10 | 2 / 1 | 0.2 / 0.1 |
| US_CE | 50 | 7 / 7 | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| US_CE_Political | 36 | 3 / 3 | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| US_CE_Social | 22 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| US_CE_Misc | 20 | 2 / 2 | 0.2 / 0.2 |
| World_CE | 50 | 7 / 7 | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| World_CE_Political | 45 | 4 / 3 | 0.4 / 0.3 |
| World_CE_Social | 15 | 1 / 1 | 0.1 / 0.1 |
| World_CE_Misc | 30 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
| Miscellaneous | 5 / 9 | 12 / 21 | 1.2 / 2.1 |
| Mixed | 18 / 35 | 10 / 18 | 1.0 / 1.8 |
| Mixed_Pure_Academic | 10 / 21 | 5 / 11 | 0.5 / 1.1 |
| Mixed_Impure_Academic | 8 / 14 | 5 / 7 | 0.5 / 0.7 |
| Mixed_or_GK | 5 | 2 / 3 | 0.2 / 0.3 |
The weights column gives the numerical weights associated with each category; these are relative to the weights of sibling categories. If, for instance, 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 packet set column shows the total number of tossups and bonuses in that category for the entire set.
The per packet column shows the per packet 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 packet 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.