⏳ The usual waits
| Case | Time |
|---|---|
| First submission of an assignment | 5–10 minutes (up to an hour on deadline night) |
| Resubmissions 1–3 | 5–10 minutes |
| Resubmission 4 onwards | 24 hours — Turnitin's anti-gaming delay |
| Thesis of 40,000–65,000 words | 15–30 minutes |
| Report set to release on due date | Whenever the lecturer set it — could be days |
| Scanned / image-only PDF | Often never — Turnitin needs selectable text |
🐢 Stuck on "processing"?
- Check the file is real text, not a scan. Open it and try to select a word.
- Check the size: over 100 MB or 800 pages is rejected silently on some LMS integrations.
- Ask whether the assignment generates reports immediately or on the due date.
- Deadline peaks (11 p.m. onwards) queue thousands of files — wait an hour before worrying.
If you need the number before the deadline, an independent check avoids the queue entirely: TurnitinMy returns the Turnitin PDF in 5–15 minutes, any hour, for RM2.78, without adding your draft to the repository.
❓ Questions
Why is my resubmission taking 24 hours?
Turnitin adds a 24-hour delay to similarity reports from the fourth resubmission of the same assignment, to discourage repeated tweaking. The first three are quick.
Does a longer document always take longer?
Yes, roughly in proportion to word count. A 60,000-word thesis can take half an hour; a 2,000-word essay a few minutes.
How long does Turnitin AI detection take?
It runs alongside the similarity report, so the same times apply. Files under 300 words or over 30,000 words are not scored for AI at all.
How fast is TurnitinMy?
5–15 minutes for most documents, 24/7, because the process is automated. RM2.78 per check.
📚 More guides
Turnitin checker · Free Turnitin? · How long Turnitin takes · Turnitin sign up · Turnitin AI detection · Outside Malaysia · FAQ