Reopen the door for candidates in the Literature - History - Geography exam block

Once the top choice for students pursuing social sciences and humanities, the C00 group (Literature, History, Geography) has just gone through a turbulent journey.

In just a few days, the fact that this combination was removed from the enrollment plan of many training majors and then restored has raised issues about management, reform thinking and candidate rights.

Wave of farewell to block C00

In 2025, many top universities suddenly removed the C00 combination from the admission list, causing confusion for many candidates. The climax was the announcement on June 4 by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) that it would stop recruiting C00 in 17/28 majors. The new admission plan of the "traditional" school of the C00 group was like a bucket of cold water poured on the community of students and teachers.

Candidates taking the 2024 High School Graduation Exam.

Previously, schools such as the University of Law ( Hanoi National University), Academy of Journalism and Communication, Hanoi Open University, Hanoi Capital University... also announced to eliminate or reduce the use of the C00 combination in university admissions in 2025. The change came too suddenly, when there was less than a month left until the high school graduation exam, causing thousands of students to be in a "caught off guard" situation, believing that schools changing the rules of the "game" too late was unfair to students.

According to the explanation from Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong, Vice Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), the elimination of the C00 combination is part of the innovation orientation according to the 2018 GeneralEducation Program and the strategy of raising foreign language output standards. Combinations with English subjects such as D01 (Math, Literature, English), D14 (Literature, History, English), D15 (Literature, Geography, English) or D66 (Literature, Civic Education, English) are given priority for admission because they reflect the integration trend and adaptability in a globalized environment.

In fact, in recent years, the C00 block has always pushed the benchmark scores of some schools too high, leading to students taking exams in other blocks not being able to pass, and the majority of students in that course are students in the C00 block. Many schools believe that in an era when human resources in social sciences must also be proficient in technology and have interdisciplinary thinking skills, it is necessary to increase the selection of candidates based on blocks related to math, foreign languages ​​and international certificates such as SAT. However, the point of discussion is not the goal, but the method. Autonomy in enrollment is the right of schools, but the rights of learners and the requirement for information transparency also need to be protected. Announcing changes too close to the exam date, when students have already finalized their graduation exam subjects and registered their wishes, shows that management thinking lacks forecasting and accountability.

The wave of farewell to the C00 group also reflects profound changes in the orientation of university admission and training, stemming from two key factors: Innovation in the 2018 General Education Program and the strategy of raising foreign language output standards and international integration. According to the Regulations on High School Graduation Exams from 2025 issued by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), in order to ensure the quality and knowledge foundation necessary for university study, the subject groups used for admission include at least 3 appropriate subjects, including Math or Literature with a weighted score of no less than 25%. From 2026, the total number of subjects in the groups must contribute at least 50% of the weighted score.

Don't let candidates lose their chance

In response to public opinion, on June 6, the Ministry of Education and Training officially sent an official dispatch to training institutions. Responding to reporters from the People's Army Newspaper, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son frankly admitted: "The decisions of some schools stem from negligence or failure to fully assess social impacts. The Ministry of Education and Training has requested higher education institutions to review their admission methods, emphasizing that schools review and publicly disclose admission information in a transparent and timely manner to avoid causing disadvantages to candidates."

Candidates taking the 2024 High School Graduation Exam.

Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son shared that, implementing the policy of granting autonomy to universities, the Ministry of Education and Training does not deeply intervene in the specific enrollment activities of each school in determining the admission methods and combinations. However, autonomy goes hand in hand with responsibility, schools need to carefully consider options, ensuring harmony between professional requirements and the interests and rights of learners. The Ministry of Education and Training issues regulations of a principled nature, and cannot provide detailed instructions in a "hand-holding" manner. However, the Ministry of Education and Training will not stand aside when the decisions of schools impact candidates and society.

In fact, the situation of changing admission combinations close to the exam is not new. As early as 2022, the Ministry of Education and Training warned that schools need to have a clear roadmap when adjusting to avoid causing "shock" to candidates. Circular No. 08/2022/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training promulgating the Regulations on university and college admissions for preschool education once stipulated that major changes in admission combinations must be announced at least one year in advance. However, this regulation was abolished in Circular No. 06/2025/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Regulations on university and college admissions for preschool education, to create flexibility for schools. But flexibility does not mean harming thousands of candidates.

Behind the seemingly technical decision lies a story about educational management, reform thinking and student rights. Education expert, Dr. Dang Tu An, Director of the Vietnam General Education Innovation Support Fund, said: “The fact that candidates choose the Social Science exam over the Natural Science exam shows that the trend of lopsided learning is becoming clearer. With an average score of about 2 points higher, the C00 group has become a safe choice for many students. In the context of a shortage of technology-engineering human resources, it is necessary for some schools to reduce or eliminate the C00 group to encourage students to study natural sciences, but the right time needs to be considered. More importantly, instead of eliminating it, the difficulty and assessment standards of the C00 group should be increased to ensure fairness between the groups. At the same time, it is necessary to innovate teaching and learning methods and provide early career orientation for students, helping them choose the right exam group. This is a sustainable solution, contributing to adjusting the lopsided learning situation, while still maintaining diversity and balance in the modern education system.”

After the adjustment, on June 7, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) added the C00 combination back to 17 training majors, and opened the C03 (Math, Literature, History) and C04 (Math, Literature, Geography) combinations for all 28 training majors of the University.

People's Army Newspaper

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/mo-lai-canh-cua-cho-thi-sinh-khoi-thi-van-su-dia-post403027.html