@Mambhevha Officially, you need 300 hours per level. I would say 6 months per level is optimal, assuming you are consistent. 8 months is the sweet spot (you will cruise nicely without feeling overly strained)
We should not blame the @USEmbassySA. They even worked on a Sunday for the first time ever and have been only too helpful, bending over backwards. The fault is entirely on our side, and making statements against the US staffers is not helping the situation for future applications