The idea for HSKacer was born in mid-June 2026 from Gabriele Gatto, a 17-year-old Italian student who mentally retraces the full story behind his skills in the Chinese language:
“I picture a Gabriele from the past, struggling badly with studying Chinese. With the start of language high school, I had to face studying this language. In my first year I could memorize almost nothing in Chinese: I was the worst in the class, got 3/10 on tests, and nearly failed the year. At one point I even thought about quitting Chinese altogether. But I decided to try again, by changing how I studied. At the start of my second year I began cutting cardboard cards: on the front I wrote the characters of a Chinese word, on the back the translation and pinyin. I did not know it yet, but I was making flashcards. That method changed everything and helped me improve enormously: within a couple of weeks I caught up on the whole first-year program and started doing much better on Chinese tests. Without even studying that much, I could understand and remember better. I began translating texts faster, guessing meanings, and “unlocking” my understanding of Chinese. Over time, though, I realized that making flashcards by hand took me too much time. So I switched to digital and could make them in much less time.
My path was not linear. There were several moments when I thought about giving up, felt I was not capable, or believed that Chinese simply was not for me. But I never quit: I tried and tried again until the results came. That is when I realized I enjoyed studying Chinese. I am happy with the path I have taken, and I believe the difficulties are what make it so special today. In my fourth year of high school I took my first HSK exam: it was an HSK 3, which I passed with a score of 291/300). I could barely believe it. That is when I realized how well the flashcard method works.
After a couple of months, then, I decided to make this system easy to access for people who, like me, have struggled with Chinese, or who want to improve and learn faster. The site I built is the tool I wish I had had a few years ago: ready-made flashcard decks for HSK exams, plus other useful study tools. It also lets you customize flashcards freely to fit your needs. It is a versatile tool, but deliberately simple and intuitive to use. HSKacer is a tool built by a student for other students. It does not come from a company selling you a generic course: it comes from someone who actually studies Chinese and knows what preparing for an HSK exam means. I am sharing a method that worked for me, in the hope that it can help someone else too.
That said, I do want to be clear, though: studying Chinese is not only about learning vocabulary. HSKacer can help you learn and remember many words thanks to an efficient flashcard method — but this method does not fully replace school or structured Chinese study. If you want to sit exams and hold real conversations in Chinese, knowing vocabulary is not enough: you need to know how to use those words, understand grammar, and express ideas clearly. So alongside flashcard study, I strongly recommend studying grammar in depth and extras such as reading texts, writing, listening to podcasts, and practicing conversation.
My path studying Chinese continues, and I wish everyone the best with their studies.”
— Gabriele Gatto