Methods and systems are presented in this disclosure for evaluating performance of cement fluid-loss-control additives and generating cement slurries with controlled fluid losses for cementing operations. A normalized pressure along a wellbore length can be first specified based on properties of the proposed cement slurry formulation and properties of the wellbore in a subterranean formation. A volume loss of a fluid of the proposed cement slurry formulation can be calculated using a model associated with the fluid obtained based at least in part on the normalized pressure and properties of the fluid. The proposed cement slurry formulation can be manipulated by adding one or more fluid-loss control additives to the proposed cement slurry formulation based on the calculated volume loss of the fluid to produce a preferred cement slurry.