For AML, older age, advanced disease and increased hematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index (HCT-CI) are associated with worse prognosis following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). This single-center retrospective study investigated the influence of pre-transplant characteristics on outcomes of 387 patients undergoing allogeneic HCT for AML in CR1 and CR2. The multivariable analysis model for overall survival (OS) included age (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.24 for ages 31-64 years and HR = 3.23 for age ⩾ 65 years compared with age ⩽ 30 years, P = 0.003), remission status (HR = 1.49 for CR2 compared with CR1, P = 0.005) and HCT-CI score (HR = 1.47 for ⩾ 3 compared with o 3, P = 0.005). Transplant year was significantly associated with OS (P = 0.001) but this did not influence the model. A weighted score was developed with age ⩽ 30, CR1 and HCT-CI score o 3 receiving 0 points each, and CR2 and HCT-CI score ⩾ 3 receiving 1 point each. Ages 31-64 received 2 points, age ⩾ 65 received 3 points. Scores were grouped as follows: scores 0-1 (low risk, n = 36), score 2 (intermediate-low risk, n = 147), score 3 (intermediate-high risk, n = 141) and scores 4-5 (high risk, n = 63) with 3-year OS of 71%, 55%, 42% and 29% for scores 0-1, 2, 3 and 4-5, respectively (P o 0.0001). The score predicted nonrelapse mortality (P = 0.03) but not cumulative incidence of relapse (P = 0.18). This model should be validated for the pre-HCT assessment of AML patients in CR1 and CR2.