One of the major concerns for students is, “Can Turnitin detect essays bought online?” From my experience, most students stress over originality reports way more than the actual essay deadline. And to be honest, I understand, because seeing a red similarity % on your paper might be scary.
The good news? Many of these concerns are based on misconceptions or half-truths about how Turnitin works. And I’d like to discuss what Turnitin can and can’t detect, and how you can reduce your stress about it.
What Can Turnitin Detect?
Turnitin is actually a comparison tool, despite the common misconception that it is an AI that “knows” when you have copied. It identifies matches between your essay and its databases without passing judgment on them. After that, your teacher determines if those matches are plagiarism or just appropriate citations.
In case you were wondering, Turnitin checks your work against three big databases:
- The Internet – websites, blogs, PDFs, and even archived pages.
- Published sources – academic journals, books, and licensed material.
- Student papers – every essay ever submitted to Turnitin worldwide.
Because of this, originality reports may first seem frightening. However, not every highlighted content is always plagiarism; sometimes, it’s merely a widely used phrase or a properly referenced source.
What Turnitin typically detects is briefly summarized in the table below.
| TYPE OF MATCH | DOES TURNITIN DETECT IT? | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Direct copy-paste | ✅ Yes | Highlighted instantly in red or yellow. |
| Poor paraphrasing | ✅ Yes | If the wording is too close to the source, it gets flagged. |
| Quotes with no citation | ✅ Yes | Even with quotation marks, missing citations raise issues. |
| Properly cited references | ⚠️ Yes, but safe | They show as matches but don’t count as plagiarism. |
| Common phrases (e.g., “in conclusion”) | ⚠️ Sometimes | Usually ignored if not excessive. |
It’s also worth mentioning that self-plagiarism is the greatest surprise for students. Turnitin will flag your past essay as if it were someone else’s if you reuse it. That’s why it’s important to consider each new submission as if it were brand new work.
And from what I’ve seen, Turnitin is pretty good at finding patterns, but it’s not perfect. It shows where two things meet, not plagiarism itself. When teachers interpret the data, a large proportion may just be quotes, references, or common phrases rather than signs of cheating.
Does Turnitin.com Check Other Students’ Work?
In fact, that’s one of the main reasons Turnitin is so effective.
Here’s how it works. Every time a student submits an essay through Turnitin, that paper doesn’t just disappear after grading. Instead, it gets stored in Turnitin’s student paper database. Over the years, this database has grown into millions of submissions from schools, colleges, and universities worldwide.
When you upload your paper, Turnitin scans it against all past submissions. This part is where most students are caught off guard. Let’s say your friend from another class gave you their essay, and you reworked it slightly. Even if they studied at a different school, Turnitin can still match your paper to theirs if it was submitted before.
From my experience, this is why reusing or borrowing another student’s essay rarely ends well. The system doesn’t care whether you’re “sharing notes” or “getting inspiration”; if the wording overlaps, it will flag it.
So yes, Turnitin definitely checks other students’ work, both locally within your school and globally across institutions. That’s why originality is always the safest route.
Can Turnitin Detect Essays Bought Online?
Turnitin will not detect the bought essay if it is unique and custom-written. This is because it simply compares your essay to its databases of published works, web sources, and previously submitted student papers.
Therefore, there is nothing Turnitin can compare your essay against if it is brand-new and has never been uploaded before.
Turnitin’s website keeps track of all submitted essays for as long as they are stored there. Thus, if you get an essay that has already been written, your plagiarism report will show you right away.
Because of this, you must choose a reliable writing service. For example, at BuyTOKEssay.com, we specialize in creating unique, bespoke essays that meet IB requirements. These papers won’t be found in Turnitin’s system since they were written entirely from scratch while adhering to academic standards.
Does BuyTOKEssay.com Use Turnitin?
The quick answer is yes, we do. And honestly, we think that’s one of the best parts of working with us. We know how stressful originality reports can feel, so we make sure every assignment is checked before it gets to you.
We run everything through Turnitin: TOK essays, extended essays, and Internal Assessments. On top of that, we can send you an official plagiarism report so you can see the proof yourself.
When you place an order with us, here’s what happens:
- Custom writing. Your essay or Internal Assessment is entirely written from scratch and tailored to IB standards.
- Turnitin check. We scan the final version through Turnitin to make sure it won’t be flagged.
- Official report. You get a plagiarism report that shows your work is 100% original.
From what we’ve seen, this process makes students feel safer. You don’t have to worry about whether Turnitin will find something because you know your paper is clean before you even finish it and send it.
It should never be a question mark over your head if you are original. Because of this, we’re happy to say that yes, we do use Turnitin and yes, we give you a real plagiarism report for each TOK essay, extended essay, and Internal Assessment we write.
So when you hire us, you get more than just a well-written paper. You also get peace of mind.
How Can I Access Turnitin as a Student?
“How do I actually use Turnitin as a student?” is one of the things I get asked most often. Turnitin isn’t like Grammarly or Scribbr in that you can’t just sign up for it online. This tool costs money every month, and schools and colleges pay for it. That means that students can only use it if their institution gives them access.
You can get to Turnitin in the following main ways:
- Through your school’s learning platform. Most IB schools connect Turnitin with platforms like Moodle, ManageBac, Canvas, or Blackboard. You’ll usually see a submission box marked “Turnitin Assignment.” Once you upload your essay, the system automatically runs the similarity check.
- Through your teacher or supervisor. Some schools don’t let students upload directly. Instead, you give your essay to your teacher, and they submit it to Turnitin. Later, they may share the similarity report with you.
- Via draft checks. Some schools allow students to upload drafts into a special “practice submission” box. From my experience, this is incredibly useful—you can see your similarity report before the final deadline and fix issues early.
- Indirect access with reports. If your school doesn’t let you log in directly, you might only get a PDF copy of the Turnitin report from your teacher. This option still gives you insight into any flagged sections.
In brief, you cannot simply create a personal Turnitin account; instead, you must consult with your supervisor or teacher first.
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How to Make an Essay More Unique?
Based on what I’ve seen, students typically react with alarm when they read their Turnitin score. In general, a similarity score of less than 15% is acceptable since it generally contains references, quotes, and popular phrases. Depending on what is highlighted, even up to 20% may be adequate. It’s not the amount that matters, but whether the matched text actually shows plagiarism.
So, what can you do to make your essay more unique? These are some tips that will help you.
☑️ Use Your Examples
Instead of repeating generic case studies or examples you find online, add your personal take or a real-life situation you’ve read about. Original examples are much harder for Turnitin to match.
☑️ Paraphrase, Don’t Copy
From my experience, students often think that changing a word or two is enough. It isn’t. Paraphrasing means rewriting the whole idea in your own words, while keeping the meaning intact.
☑️ Cite Sources Properly
Even if you paraphrase, you should still give credit. Proper citations turn what could be flagged as plagiarism into a legitimate academic reference.
☑️ Mix Sources
Don’t rely on just one article or book. Combine insights from different places and add your perspective. This way, you will make your essay more original and show critical thinking.
☑️ Add Your Analysis
In the IB and academic writing, analysis is everything. Use your voice to comment, question, or compare ideas. That personal touch guarantees your essay is unique.
❔ FAQ
No, if your work is genuinely original and properly cited, Turnitin won’t flag it as plagiarism. A little overlap from references or common phrases is normal and not a problem.
Yes, it does. Every essay submitted to Turnitin is stored in its student paper database. That means if you try to reuse or borrow a classmate’s work, even from a different school, the system can flag the overlap.
Absolutely. If you submit the same essay for two different classes, Turnitin will recognize it as already existing in its database. This is known as self-plagiarism.
Yes, Turnitin now includes an AI-detection feature. However, it isn’t perfect. Sometimes it produces false positives, and teachers are advised to use it as a guideline rather than proof.
