B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 454; Flight Crew Type 454
Distraction; Training / Qualification
Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Aircraft; Human Factors
We were climbing from FL 330 given a clearance to FL 360. Aircraft briefly leveled at initial cruise altitude FL 340 before Aircrew intervention. [Center] queried if we received the clearance to FL 360. As a result of the brief delay [Center] issued brief off course vectors to both us and converging traffic. Causal factors were equipment: not much experience in MAX-800; as a result; still have to search for everything. Automation: Upon receipt of FL 360 clearance and after the Captain dialed the MCP Altitude 36;000 FT; I should have; but failed to; ensured the cruise altitude reflected FL 360. Engaging the ALT INTV button would have facilitated the process. The solution is to Verify/Verbalize/Monitor. Verifying the CDU cruise altitude (NAV 2/3) would have prevented the temporary level off. Monitoring would have mitigated the delay at FL 340 but could have been timelier. As a relatively new First Officer; I had not seen this issue. However; I could have done a better job with VVM (Verbalize; Verify; Monitor) to back up the Captain with his duties while flying. Had I seen the momentary level off; I might have been able to alert ATC of it; avoiding any confusion or deviation of what the expectations were.
B737 MAX8 First Officer reported an altitude deviation due to an intermediate level off by the aircraft automation.