How long does a healthcare level 3 nvq take?

[Trinpy]

I'm starting a level 3 in June. I was hoping to whizz through it in a few months but a colleague who's done it (a few years ago) said it takes 18 months+. Is that right?

If it's relevant, I work 30 hrs a week and my assessor works 20 hours a week. I did a degree fairly recently so I'm used to studying.

Just seen this. Are you doing the level 3 through work. I did it with work a couple of years ago and completed it in about 9 months. I usually saw my assessor once a month. Sometimes more if she had to do an observation. I also work 30 hours a week.
I had done level 2 before and some of those modules were level.3 standard so passes straight over