Dropping the C00 subject combination for humanities and social sciences: A signal of a shift in admissions.

This change reflects new admission trends and has many impacts on candidates' study orientation.

Pressure adjustment

In recent weeks, information that some universities have adjusted their admission combinations, especially limiting or no longer using the C00 combination (Literature - History - Geography) in some majors, has created a lot of discussion in the student and teacher community.

At the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), some traditional majors that previously recruited mainly based on the C00 block have switched to prioritizing combinations with foreign languages or combinations of Math - Literature - Foreign languages. The announcement was made at a time when 12th grade students were in the final stage, causing many students to worry and have to change their review strategies.

Accordingly, in 2026, each major and school will only consider 3-4 combinations, only Han Nom major will consider 5 combinations. Last year, most majors considered 7-8 combinations. The school did not consider C00 combination for 15/30 majors, including many majors with high admission scores such as Journalism, Oriental Studies, Korean Studies, Public Relations, Psychology...

In 2026, depending on the major, the school will double the score for Literature or English in the admission combination. This is to ensure compliance with the regulation that the common subject between the combinations must account for 50% of the weighted score, in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training .

The Political Officer School - University of Politics said that the school will no longer use the A00 and C00 combinations for enrollment in 2026. Instead, the school added the C01 group, in addition to the old combinations, including C03, C04 and D01. The Border Guard Academy also only uses 3 admission combinations including C03, C04 and D01 for both Border Guard and Law majors. Compared to this year, the school has abandoned the two traditional combinations C00 and A01.

Nguyen Thao Uyen - a 12th grade student at Nguyen Thi Dieu High School (Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that she has been studying block C00 since grade 10 because she plans to apply for Psychology. "I was quite surprised to learn that some schools have started to prioritize combinations with English. I don't know how schools in Ho Chi Minh City plan to consider combinations, but for now, I'm focusing on learning more foreign languages to be less worried," Uyen shared.

Sharing the same sentiment, Tran Khanh Minh (Phu Xuan High School, Dak Lak Province) said that the change in subject combination should have been announced earlier. Minh said that he was good at Literature and only focused on reviewing History and Geography from the beginning of grade 12, while Math and English were only studied at a basic level to be able to pass the entrance exam.

“I plan to enroll in the Journalism major at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi). The fact that the school has adjusted the combination of subjects makes me worried because the competitive pressure will be greater for those who have studied English in advance, even though I really love this major and have decided to take the entrance exam since grade 10,” Minh confided.

However, a number of candidates have also begun to seek "backup" options, such as increasing registration for competency assessment exams, reviewing academic records, or expanding their wishes to schools that still maintain block C00.

Nguyen Gia Bao, a 12th grade student at Ngo Gia Tu High School (Phu Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), said he had changed his review plan since the schools announced it. “Previously, I only focused on the C00 group because I thought the schools would keep it stable. But when some schools announced the removal of the group, I registered to review for the competency assessment exam and learned more about the majors that still consider C00 to avoid risks. I was afraid that just because of a last-minute change, I would lose the opportunity to get into the major I wanted,” Bao said.

Trend forecasting

MSc. Pham Thai Son - Director of the Admissions & Communications Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, said that the fact that some schools have abandoned the C00 group will certainly have a strong impact on students, especially those who have followed the C00 group orientation from the beginning of the grade.

According to MSc. Son, this change has led to pressure to adjust the review plan. “Many students are forced to supplement Math, English or other subjects to meet the new combination. Many students have to consider taking competency assessment exams to maintain their chances of entering the field they want,” he said.

MSc. Son believes that it is not advisable to announce changes to the combination of subjects close to the admissions time. “If there are any adjustments, schools should announce them 3-4 years in advance. That way, students will have a direction from the beginning, avoiding the situation of studying in a biased way and then being passive at the last minute,” Mr. Son suggested.

Regarding the preparation of candidates who are only strong in Literature - History - Geography, Mr. Son recommends that they should invest early in foreign languages because this is an essential ability for most humanities and social sciences majors today. "In addition, digital skills, basic computer skills or analytical thinking are also increasingly required. Many schools have included IT or English in the admissions process," he said.

In addition, candidates need to have backup plans such as reviewing transcripts at schools that still use block C00, or choosing an aptitude test to expand opportunities. According to Mr. Son, diversifying the entrance route will help reduce risks and create flexibility in the combination transition phase.

Discussing the benefits of the trend of diversifying the combination of humanities and social sciences students when graduating, Mr. Son commented that the combination of humanities knowledge and new skills will help increase competitiveness. Employers increasingly prioritize foreign languages, digital skills, and critical thinking. When recruiting students towards multi-subject combinations, students tend to possess a more diverse set of skills.

“However, this will only be effective if the university training program continues to foster those skills. In other words, changing the combination is a necessary but not sufficient condition, there needs to be synchronization between enrollment, training programs and business connections,” he analyzed.

A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade added that the university still maintains the C00 admission test for suitable majors such as Tourism and Law. “We will only consider making adjustments when there is evidence that students admitted with the C00 group study worse than students admitted with other combinations. There is currently no such data, so the university still maintains the C00 combination,” he informed.

Looking at the overall picture, the trend of reducing the C00 combination in some majors shows that schools are moving towards an admission model linked to new career requirements. However, in order for this shift to not cause disruption, coordination between schools, management agencies and parents - candidates in early orientation is extremely important.

Some teachers believe that removing the C00 group is a sign of an inevitable trend in university admissions. “Foreign languages and digital skills are becoming basic requirements in many majors, including humanities. Schools are expanding their combinations to suit the realities of the profession,” said Ms. Nguyen Thu H., a homeroom teacher for grade 12 at a high school in Tan Hung ward (HCMC).

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/bo-xet-to-hop-c00-khoi-nganh-nhan-van-xa-hoi-tin-hieu-dich-chuyen-trong-tuyen-sinh-post759814.html