INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT MISINTERPRETS CLRNC; CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative

EVENT AROSE ON CLBOUT TO VFR ON TOP TO COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS. CEILING WAS RPTED LOWER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS. STUDENT IN A COMMERCIAL/INST PART 141 PROGRAM; AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO SHOW HIM SOME ACTUAL IFR ENRTE TO COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS TRAINING. FILED IFR TO POHLL INTXN TO REACH VFR ON TOP -- A COMMON LCL OCCURRENCE. THERE WERE SEVERAL LAYERS AND THEY WERE NOT SOLID. CTLR CLRED US TO LAN 360/15 CLB TO 6000 FT IF NOT ON TOP AT 6000 FT ADVISE. CLRNC WAS READ BACK. A FEW MINS LATER CTLR ASKED IF WE WANTED OUR CLRNC LIMIT TO BE POHLL. WE ANSWERED WE COULD GO FURTHER N TO CUTTY INTXN IF IT WOULD HELP. CTLR SAID OK; WELL TURN TO HDG 360 DEGS FOR A VECTOR AND CLB TO VFR ON TOP. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN OUR 6000 FT LEVEL OFF WAS GONE. WE CONTINUED CLB TO APPROX 6500-6800 FT. CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE VFR. I REPLIED IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS BUT NOT ON TOP. A FEW SECONDS LATER WE BROKE OUT ON TOP APPROX 6800 FT AND CANCELLED IFR. CLBED TO VFR ALT FOR CLOUD CLRNC. UPON RETURNING I HAD A NOTE TO CALL DEP CTL SUPVR. HE INFORMED ME THAT MY CLRNC PRIOR TO CANCEL WAS 6000 FT AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE LEVELED OFF. HE SAID THE AREA WAS CLR OF ACFT SO THERE WAS NOT A CRITICAL PROB. I EXPLAINED HOW I UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC TO READ AND THAT I THOUGHT I HAD READ BACK 'ROGER; VECTORS TO ON TOP' WHICH NULLIFIED THE 6000 FT LIMIT; AND THAT AT 6000 FT WE WERE NOT VMC; SO I CONTINUED THE CLB TO VMC. HE SAID 'OK; NOW I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED; OK....' HE SAID THERE WAS NO PROB; BUT FOR FUTURE REF HE WANTED TO POINT IT OUT. WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS IS IF THERE IS AN ALT LIMIT SET; AND A NEW SET OF INSTRUCTIONS ARE RECEIVED; VERIFY THE ALT LIMIT. I BELIEVE THE WHOLE THING BOILED DOWN TO A MISCOM BTWN ATC AND MYSELF; WHERE WE BOTH HEARD WHAT WE WANTED TO HEAR. I STILL AN NOT SURE; LOOKING BACK; ABOUT WHAT THE ACTUAL WORDING OF THE CLRNC AND MY READBACK WAS. THE CONDITIONS WERE NO FACTOR; IT WAS SMOOTH IMC AND THERE WERE NO DISTRS. THE STUDENT (FLYING) WAS DOING FINE.