Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight some inadequacies of the position of lecturers’ qualifications to design assessments within hospitality curricula while meeting the requirements of international and national quality frameworks. The Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area leaves the responsibility for designing appropriate teaching and assessment strategies in the hands of educators without fully recognizing the complexity of formulating the desired learning outcomes. Additionally, the subject-oriented background of the majority of educators within universities of applied sciences seems to be ignored in respect of its influence on assessment design. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reflects on the author’s experience in designing courses, teaching and assessment strategies at the NHTV University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands, as well as observations of processes at other universities of applied sciences. Findings – The author argues for a uniform delineation of hospitality professional qualifications which integrates learning outcomes from international, national and industry profiles. It is proposed that course design should start with assessment design to achieve alignment with learning outcomes and instructional strategies. Universities of applied sciences will have to train course designers in advanced assessment methods and encourage all faculty to acquire appropriate didactical training in assessing students. Practical implications – This paper offers a view on the strategy necessary to ensuring adequate preparation of lecturers in the areas of writing–learning outcomes and preparing assessment. Originality/value – The value of the paper lies in the fact that it is a unique critique of pedagogy in Dutch universities of applied sciences.