Direct answer
Direct Answer - In Turnitin's AI writing detection report, an asterisk (*%) replaces the numeric percentage whenever the overall AI score is below 20%. Turnitin deliberately withholds exact figures in this range because the detection model is not confident enough below that threshold to report a precise number [1]. In practice, seeing *% means the report found little or no AI-generated text in your document, placing you in the lowest-risk band rather than signalling an error.
How Does Turnitin Display AI Writing Scores Below 20 Percent?
Turnitin's AI writing report scores the whole document as one overall percentage, and that score is grouped into bands rather than shown on a continuous scale. The report explains that any overall score below 20% is displayed as an asterisk (*) instead of a single-digit number such as 3% or 12% [2]. The only explicit low numeric outcome a student typically sees is 0%; everything else under 20% falls into the asterisk bucket [2].
The bands above the threshold are shown as ranges — for example 20–40%, 40–60%, 60–80%, and above 80% — so the asterisk is simply Turnitin's way of saying "under 20%." This design choice is intentional: below that point, the detector's confidence is too low for Turnitin to claim a precise figure, and publishing one could mislead students and instructors alike [2].
Turnitin pairs the percentage with a written indicator that describes what the score suggests about the document. When you see *%, the accompanying text typically states that the document may contain little or no AI-generated text, which is the same language used for genuinely human-written submissions [2].
It is important to note that the asterisk appears in the instructor-facing report and in any student-facing preview configured by the institution. If you ever see *% next to your overall score, you are looking at the lowest detection band — not a hidden score, not a system failure, and not a placeholder that will update later [2].
Does an Asterisk Mean Your Paper Is Safe From AI Detection?
An asterisk is the most reassuring outcome a Turnitin AI report can show, because it means the detector classified the document as containing little or no AI-generated text. Turnitin's own guidance is that scores in this band should be interpreted as indicating the document may have been written without AI assistance, rather than as proof of authorship [3]. In other words, *% is strong evidence of a low AI-writing risk, but it is not a certificate of human authorship.
However, "safe" comes with an important nuance. The overall percentage is only part of the picture — the AI writing report can still highlight individual sentences or paragraphs it believes may have been generated by AI, even when the overall score lands in the *% band [3]. If a small section of a mostly hand-written essay was drafted with an AI tool, you could still see sentence-level flags alongside the asterisk overall score.
Another nuance is context: instructors interpret reports within the rules of their own institution and assignment. A *% score gives you a strong position if the originality of your work is ever questioned, but you should still be ready to explain your writing process, keep drafts and notes, and understand what the report's indicator text says about your document [3].
The practical takeaway is straightforward: *% means you are in the low-risk group. If you wrote the document yourself — or humanized AI-assisted text carefully — the asterisk tells you the detector is not attributing significant portions of your work to AI, and you can proceed with confidence while keeping your own evidence of authorship [3].
How Can You Check Your Own Turnitin AI Report Before Submitting?
Students generally cannot upload a paper into the same Turnitin system their instructors use, because submissions are tied to an institutional assignment inbox. That means the only way to see your official report format before the deadline — including whether your score lands in the *% band or in a numeric range — is to use a checking service that runs the same Turnitin AI writing report on your draft [4].
When you preview your own report, read the overall percentage and its written indicator first, then scan the sentence-level highlights. If the overall score shows *%, your document sits below the 20% threshold; if any paragraphs are still flagged, decide whether to revise that specific wording before your final submission [4].
Because the asterisk band covers everything from 0% up to just under 20%, a single check cannot tell you exactly where you fall inside that range. If you want maximum certainty, run the check after your edits and confirm the report continues to show *%, and keep a copy of the report alongside your drafts as evidence of your process [4].
Checking before submitting also protects you from surprises: once a paper is submitted to your instructor, you cannot retroactively change the score that was recorded. A pre-submission check gives you the same report your instructor would see, so you can resolve any AI-writing flags or similarity matches while you still have time to act on them [4].
Whether your last check came back with a reassuring *% or with a numeric score you want to lower, the smartest move is to preview the exact report your instructor will receive before you submit. turnitin0 runs real Turnitin AI writing and similarity reports on your draft, so you can see the asterisk band, score, and sentence-level flags in the same format used inside institutional systems — then decide whether your paper is ready or needs another pass.
※ Turnitin0.com - Actual Turnitin AI Report Cover, Score, Flag And Similarity Summary
FAQ
Is an asterisk score the same as 0%?
No. *% covers the entire range below 20%, while 0% is the only explicit low numeric score Turnitin shows. Most students will see the asterisk rather than a precise single-digit number.
Does *% mean Turnitin found no AI writing at all?
It means the report detected little or no AI-generated text in the overall document [1]. Because scores under 20% are not reported precisely, *% reflects a low-confidence, low-risk result rather than an exact measurement.
Can my paper still get flagged if it shows *%?
Your overall score sits in the lowest band, but individual sentences can still be highlighted if the detector believes specific passages may be AI-generated [3]. Review the highlights and revise any flagged wording before submitting.
Why does Turnitin hide scores under 20%?
The detection model is not confident enough below the 20% threshold to report a precise figure, so Turnitin groups those results into the asterisk band instead of publishing a potentially misleading number [2].
What should I do if my report shows *%?
Read the written indicator and any sentence-level highlights, keep a copy of the report with your drafts, and re-run a check after edits to confirm your score stays in the low-risk band before you submit [4].