Work-integrated learning (WIL) has become an increasingly common feature of higher education curricula. Two aspects of WIL, authenticity and consistency, are valued in different ways by the stakeholders involved. Authenticity, by its very nature, supports the idea of learning being personalized and unique. Consistency, on the other hand, is focused on 'sameness'. This paper, set in the Irish context, considers the balance to be struck in attempting to optimize the authenticity of learning while simultaneously attempting to ensure consistency in its assessment. Following a participatory research and action approach, the study involved semi-structured interviews with key scholars in the field (n=7) and nine participatory workshops with groups of students, educators and practitioners across a range of disciplines and contexts (n=120). The findings touched on definitions, understandings, expectations, roles, contexts and priorities. Solutions are suggested and implications for practice and policy highlighted.