NON IFR RATED PVT PLT FLIES IFR FLT PLAN TO DEST ARPT FOR A PRACTICE RUN; RUNS INTO PROX OF CLOUDS.

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PLT IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING IFR INSTRUCTION WITH AN FAA CERTIFIED IFR INSTRUCTOR. PLT WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY FROM FULLERTON TO CARLSBAD ON A PLEASURE TRIP. HE DECIDED TO GET IFR XCOUNTRY PRACTICE AND FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN. NO INSTRUCTOR WAS PRESENT; BUT THE PLT PLANNED TO FLY VFR WITHOUT THE USE OF ANY VISIBILITY LIMITING DEVICE (HOOD). IFR CLRNC WAS GRANTED AND THE TRIP COMMENCED. VFR CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE RTE. UPON ARR INTO PALOMAR'S ATA; AN ILS APCH WAS INITIATED. AT THE EASTERN MOST END OF THE APCH; THE PLT SAW CLOUDS AT AN UNDETERMINED ALT. HE ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT TO ENSURE THE AVOIDANCE OF CLOUDS. AFTER INFORMING ATC THAT HE WAS A VFR PLT; HE WAS GIVEN AN ALT OF 2800 FT WHICH PROVED SUFFICIENT TO STAY CLR OF CLOUDS. UPON LNDG; PLT WAS ASKED TO CONTACT SAN DIEGO APCH. HE WAS THEN INFORMED THAT AN IFR CLRNC CANNOT BE OBTAINED BY A VFR PLT. INSTEAD; PLT SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A PRACTICE IFR FLT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. PLT WAS UNAWARE OF THIS DISTINCTION; BUT WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW THE PROPER PROC IN THE FUTURE.