Hi all, I applied for a PhD 5 weeks ago and still not heard anything. I’ve chased it twice and they’ve said it can take up to 8-12 weeks. Just wondering, is the fact it’s taking a while a good sign?! If it was rubbish surely I would have had an unsuccessful by now? Obviously anxiously waiting! Thank you :)

5 weeks is a long time to wait but academics can be notoriously slow at getting back to people.
I would continue to look for other opportunities in the meantime in case this one doesn't come through for you.

8-12 weeks sounds normal. As pm133 said, academics can be slow and you cant really tell until 12 weeks passes. You can always apply for other PhDs or other jobs while you wait.