Purpose: This paper aims to examine the development and effectiveness of quality assurance as a competitive tool for Singapore's private tertiary education in an increasingly competitive global market. Design/methodology/approach: A review of the growth of private education in Singapore is presented and issues related to quality and Singapore's quality assurance framework are discussed in this paper. The experience of "private schools", that is, private tertiary education providers, in relation to quality assurance is documented through two case studies of two typical private schools in Singapore. Findings: It was found that quality assurance of private tertiary education in Singapore is still narrowly focused on business and management processes. The government has not yet imposed any form of regulatory framework to ensure that academic standards are upheld. Rather, private schools are relying heavily on their own initiatives to safeguard teaching quality. Practical implications: This paper reveals the insufficient nature of quality assurance in Singapore's tertiary private education industry. The paper suggests a need for more collaboration between the Singapore Government and the private education providers in order that appropriate quality assurance is provided. The findings strongly suggest that it is critical for Singapore to re-evaluate its quality assurance framework in order to realize its vision of becoming a regional educational hub. Originality/value: This paper draws from the experience of the interviewees and will be of interest to those in the field of private education. (Contains 1 figure.)