The study aimed to develop and validate a preoperative scoring system to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in cervical cancer (CC). A total of 426 stage IB1-IIA1 CC patients were randomly divided into two sets. A logistic regression model was used to determine independent factors that contribute to LNM. A preoperative scoring system was developed based on beta (β) coefficients. An area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was used to test for model discrimination. Five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 91.7%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that FIGO stage, tumor size, depth of invasion on MRI, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels were independent risk factors in the development set (all P < 0.05). The AUCs of the scoring system for the development and validation sets were 0.833 (95% CI = 0.757-0.909) and 0.767 (95% CI = 0.634-0.891), respectively. Patients who scored 0-2, 3-5, and 6-8 were classified into low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk groups. Predicted rates were in accord with observed rates in both sets. The 5-year OS rates of the new groups were also significantly different for the entire group, development set, and validation set (all P < 0.05). LNM affects the prognosis of CC patients. The scoring system can be used to assist in evaluating the risk of LNM in CC patients preoperatively. It is easy to obtain and can provide reference for clinical treatment decision-making.