Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on how assessment is used to support the aims of enterprise education leading to recommendations for improvements to the current approach to the assessment of enterprise. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents a review of entrepreneurship education literature and a qualitative case study conducted on a sample of enterprise educators at University of the West of Scotland. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Paradoxically, the traditional enterprise education paradigm harms that which it attempts to nurture: entrepreneurial thinking and activity. The rationalised approach to education conflicts with the aims of enterprise educators, and there is evidence of a visible and growing disconnect between academia (the theory) and industry (the practice). Research limitations/implications: The work is limited as it concentrates on a single case study. The qualitative approach focusses on a specific social field and therefore the findings cannot be generalised to other settings. These limitations can be addressed in future research. Practical implications: This work has resonance for enterprise educators delivering and assessing entrepreneurial learning in an academic setting and will also be of interest to decision makers within this sector concerned with ensuring academic practice remains aligned to policy and industry requirements. Originality/value: Enterprise education is well researched; however, there is a gap in the area of enterprise assessment which is under researched and not well understood.