Essay (French pronunciation: [ɛsɛ] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. The town is mainly known nowadays for its motorsports tracks, and hosted a round of the 2011 European Rallycross Championship.

The commune is in the Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park.

A river, La Vézone, flows through the commune.

The commune has two buildings/areas listed as a Monument historique.