PA44 PLTS DID NOT INSURE THEY KNEW THE ALT CHANGE GIVEN THEM BY THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR IN ZLA CLASS E.

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THE MISSION WAS A XCOUNTRY DUAL CREW TRAINING FLT TO ONTARIO; CA. THE PURPOSE WAS TO BUILD MULTI-ENG FLT TIME AND GAIN EXPERIENCE IN A CRM RELATED ENVIRONMENT. I HAD THE DUTY OF FLYING THE ACFT. MY PARTNER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. THE WX AHEAD DID NOT APPEAR TO BE SAFE TO PROCEED ON COURSE; SO WE REQUESTED IFR BACK. ATC TURNED US AROUND AND GAVE US AN ALT CHANGE. MY PARTNER READ BACK THE INFO. MY HANDS WERE TIED WITH FLYING THE ACFT AND MAKING NAV CHANGES. TO VERIFY THE ALT ASSIGNED; I ASKED MY PARTNER. I HEARD 'ELEVEN THOUSAND.' I BEGAN CLBING AND CTL CAME ON AND SAID 'EXPEDITE SEVEN THOUSAND.' BY THIS TIME I WAS AT 9000 FT. ANOTHER ACFT WAS PROCEEDING TOWARD US AND WE INTERRUPTED IFR SEPARATION. I TOOK RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE I AM A CFII/MEI STUDENT AND MY PARTNER IS ONLY A PVT MULTI STUDENT. PRIOR TO FLT; I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT NOT KNOWING HIS PLTING SKILLS. WE WERE PAIRED TOGETHER TO SIMULATE AN AIRLINE MISSION. THE PROB IS THE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE EXPERIENCE LEVELS. I HAVE NO EXCUSES. IT IS MY JOB TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO CTL AT ALL TIMES. UNFORTUNATELY; I HAD TO VERIFY WITH MY PARTNER; AND RECEIVED A FALSE ASSIGNMENT. THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS MISUNDERSTANDING BTWN US.