PLT OF A MAULE M5 INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO OVCST WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLB VFR THROUGH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BREAK IN THE OVCST.

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I APCHED AN OVCST LAYER AND CLBED ABOVE IT. ANOTHER OVCST LAYER WAS ABOVE. I WAS NOT SURE THE 2 LAYERS WOULD CONVERGE AHEAD. THE UPPER LAYER APPEARED BROKEN AT TIMES TO REVEAL AN APPARENT ADDITIONAL OVCST LAYER (THIRD) ABOVE THE SECOND. I DECIDED TO CLB THROUGH A BREAK IN THE SECOND LAYER. LIGHT CONDITIONS WERE VERY BRIGHT; AND LED ME TO BELIEVE THE SECOND AND THIRD LAYERS WERE THIN IN SPOTS. I LOST VISUAL REF IN THE SECOND LAYER. LIGHT CONDITIONS WERE BRIGHTENING; BUT I WAS USING INSTS TO REMAIN IN CTL. I DECIDED THAT MY BEST CHANCE WAS TO CONTINUE CLBING ABOVE THE SECOND LAYER; GIVEN THE BRIGHTENING LIGHT CONDITIONS. AFTER 1-2 MINS I WAS NOT ON TOP AND DECIDED TO EXECUTE A 180 DEG TURN AND DSND. I BROKE OUT BENEATH THE BOTTOM LAYER; HAVING NEVER EXPERIENCED THE GAP BTWN THE FIRST AND SECOND LAYERS. THE IFR TRAINING I RECEIVED DURING MY COMMERCIAL PLT RATING TRAINING IN THE EARLY 90'S SAVED MY LIFE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THE PVT PLT RATING CURRICULUM INCLUDE THIS EXTENDED TRAINING EXPERIENCED DURING THE COMMERCIAL PLT TRAINING. HOWEVER; I'VE ALWAYS HAD A DIFFICULT TIME JUDGING THE SIZE AND HORIZ DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS (UNLESS I'M VERY CLOSE TO THEM).