[jason taylor]

Really any combination of values can be factored in. This can be the foundation of a meritocracy or a hereditary aristocracy (probably one more like an Anglo-Saxon one rather than one based on Norman style primogeniture). It can also be a good way to found a Cursus Honorum. It can be a combination of these (a son of the Duke of Earl gets so many automatic points, gets so many added for this service to the state, so many for that, so many because daddy did an extra service and wanted his points flagged to his son, etc.

In real life of course you often have a tacit "points structure". What makes this different is it is explicit and precisely counted.