Prior to 2001, students had to choose at least 7 out of roughly 14 (options varied by school) topics on which they would ultimately take the national examinations.
For others, the most commonly chosen topics included English, French, German, physics, biology, mathematics (applied "A" and advanced "B"), chemistry, history and economics (macro and micro).
Since the 2001 'Phase II' reforms of Dutch secondary education, candidates have to specialize in one or more of four 'profiles' at the start of their fourth year of study in the VWO.
An addition to the Phase II is the Technasium program, in both VWOs (Atheneums and Gymnasiums), acting as sort of a fifth profile.
Students work together in groups on assignments from actual companies and contests as diverse as designing a building, proposing a product involving solar energy or even developing a plan for the gentrification of an area.
In Phase II, all students are required to participate in the following courses: Dutch, English, mathematics (there are four different courses in mathematics: A/B/C/D), Latin or Ancient Greek/an additional foreign language (Gymnasium students are not required to take an additional foreign language other than English), PE (in Dutch: 'bewegingsonderwijs' or 'lichamelijk onderwijs'), ANW (General Nature Sciences, only in the fourth/fifth year, depending on the school), CKV (a general form of culture and art education in the Atheneum stream) or KCV (classical cultural education in the Gymnasium stream, similar to CKV, except from the fact that it focuses on the classical aspect) and "Maatschappijleer" (only in the fourth year, similar to social sciences).
For instance, a student taking Natuur en Techniek can attend a third foreign language if the school has sufficient facilities to do so or studies it in his spare time and participate only in the mandatory examinations.