Yes. A change from 14% to 100% can happen in Turnitin, and in your situation the most likely reason is that Turnitin is now matching the second submission against your first submission.
Turnitin itself specifically notes that submitting multiple drafts of the same paper to an institutional/private repository can cause the final version to show 100% similarity. (Turnitin Guides)
Why did 14% become 100%?
Most likely this happened:
First check
Your document → Turnitin database
Similarity = 14%
The first document was then stored in the Turnitin repository.
Second check
Same document → Turnitin checks database → finds your first document
Similarity ≈ 100%
So the 100% does not automatically mean plagiarism. Turnitin measures matching text; it does not itself determine whether plagiarism occurred. (Turnitin Guides)
Step-by-Step: How to Confirm the Problem
Step 1 — Open the 100% Similarity Report
Click the 100% similarity score to open the full report.
Step 2 — Look at the biggest source
Open:
Sources Overview / Match Overview / All Sources
Look at the source contributing the largest percentage.
You may see something such as:
Submitted Works – 98%
Student Paper
Submitted to Universiti Teknologi MARA
or
Submitted to [your institution] – 100%
If almost the whole document is matching one submitted paper, this strongly indicates that Turnitin is matching your document against the earlier copy.
Turnitin's database includes previously submitted student papers as well as webpages and publications. (Turnitin Guides)
Remedy 1 — Exclude the Previous Submission
This is usually the fastest solution for the current report.
Step 1
Open the 100% Similarity Report.
Step 2
Open:
Sources Overview
or
All Sources
Step 3
Find the source that represents your previous submission.
For example:
Submitted Works — 92%
Step 4
Click that source.
Step 5
Choose:
Exclude Source
Step 6
Turnitin will recalculate the similarity percentage.
For example:
Before exclusion
100%
After excluding your previous submission
14%
or something close to the original percentage.
Turnitin confirms that excluding an individual source causes the similarity score to be recalculated. (Turnitin Guides)
Important
Only exclude the source when you have verified that it is genuinely the same author's previous submission. Do not simply exclude genuine sources to artificially lower the similarity percentage.
Remedy 2 — Remove the Original Paper From the Repository
This is preferable when the first submission was only intended as a draft/checking copy.
However, there is an important distinction between:
deleting a paper from an assignment
and
permanently removing it from the Turnitin repository.
Depending on your institution's Turnitin configuration, deleting it from the assignment may not necessarily remove the repository copy.
Recommended procedure
Step 1: Find the original 14% submission.
Step 2: Record its:
- submission ID
- assignment name
- class/module
- submission date
- student/author information
Step 3: Delete the original submission where your Turnitin interface allows it and EMPTY the TRASH BIN
Step 4: If the paper continues to appear as a repository match, contact your UiTM Turnitin administrator/library administrator.
Ask for:
Permanent deletion of the original submission from the Turnitin repository
Turnitin's guidance notes that, in some integrations, complete database removal requires the institution's Turnitin administrator to arrange the removal. (Turnitin Guides)
Remedy 3 — Use “Do Not Store” for Draft Checking
This is the best preventive solution if you regularly check articles, research papers, assignments or drafts before final submission.
When creating a Turnitin assignment/checking folder, look for a setting similar to:
Add submissions to repository
Set it to:
OFF
or select:
Do not store submitted papers
The exact wording varies depending on your Turnitin version/LMS.
Turnitin's current assignment guidance states that instructors can turn repository storage OFF where the institutional configuration permits it. (Turnitin Guides)
Recommended setup
For a DRAFT CHECKING assignment:
| Setting | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Generate Similarity Report | Yes |
| Check Internet | Yes |
| Check Publications | Yes |
| Check Submitted Works | Yes |
| Add submission to repository | NO/OFF |
| Exclude bibliography | Yes |
| Exclude quoted material | Yes |
Then create another assignment for:
FINAL SUBMISSION
For the final submission:
Add submission to repository = ON
This prevents future students or authors from reusing the final paper.
Remedy 4 — Use Resubmit Instead of Creating Another Submission
Another common mistake is:
First check
Assignment A → submit paper
Then:
Second check
Assignment B → upload the same paper again
If Assignment A stored the paper in the repository, Assignment B may detect it as an existing submitted paper.
Instead, when possible, use:
Resubmit
within the same assignment/submission slot.
Turnitin allows resubmission where the instructor has enabled it. (Turnitin Guides)
Be aware that repeated resubmissions can sometimes delay generation of a new Similarity Report; Turnitin's current guidance notes that after several immediate resubmission attempts, another report can require up to 24 hours. (Turnitin Guides)
The Best Solution for Your Case
Because your score changed:
First = 14%
Second = 100%
I would do this:
1. Open the 100% report.
2. Check the largest matching source.
3. If it says Submitted Works / Student Paper / submitted to your institution, check whether it is your first submission.
4. Exclude that single source.
5. Check the recalculated percentage.
It should probably return to around:
14%
6. Locate the original first submission.
7. If it was only a test/draft, arrange for it to be removed from the repository if necessary.
8. For future draft checks, create a dedicated Turnitin assignment with:
Add submissions to repository = OFF
9. Only the final version should normally be submitted into a repository-enabled assignment.
Simple Illustration
What happened
FIRST CHECK
Your Paper
↓
Turnitin
↓
14% Similarity
↓
Paper stored in Turnitin repository
SECOND CHECK
Same Paper
↓
Turnitin
↓
Finds your FIRST PAPER
↓
100% Similarity
Correct future workflow
DRAFT
↓
Turnitin Draft Checking
Repository = OFF
↓
14%
↓
Edit / Improve
↓
Check Again
Repository = OFF
↓
Similarity checked normally
↓
FINAL VERSION
↓
Final Turnitin Submission
Repository = ON
Most important point
Do not rewrite your entire paper just because the second report says 100%. First check the matching source. If almost all of that 100% comes from your own earlier Turnitin submission, the problem is repository self-matching, not that your original 14% suddenly became plagiarism.
