This project examines “freedom of choice” in portfolio-based exams as a pedagogical tool to increase student motivation and engagement. The project draws on a student survey evaluation of a portfolio assignment in which the students were offered to submit either a video essay, a photo essay, or a written essay with visual components. Despite challenges with time constraints and uneven conversion factors between the different media formats, the survey showed that the (conditional) freedom of choice in the portfolio exam was in general received well by the students as a personalized, flexible strategy that enhanced the learning experience by accommodating individual preferences and skills, as well as by generating creativity and self-reflection among the students.