The article examines the status of the IPO essay, starting from the thesis that the essay is a neutral form that does not favour or disadvantage any particular group of students and that allows everyone complete freedom of writing. The discussion yields two findings: firstly, the essay is not a neutral form, since students are required to adhere to specific rules in their writing. The basic regulations governing the essay are contained in the IPO Statute in the form of criteria of evaluation. Further provisions are laid down in the IPO Essay Guide. The Guide specifies in greater detail what is expected of students in their essay writing; however, these specifications seem to be one-dimensional. The article seeks to propose a more complex understanding of the philosophical essay based on various essay writing guides which focus on the essay as representing not merely a form of knowledge examination, but also a school of thought and a realm of freedom. Thus, the second conclusion arising from the article is the thesis that the philosophical essay is by essence linked to the freedom of the subject; however, this is not a complete freedom, but one that should be regarded as relating to philosophical socialisation and qualification.