To provide an exhaust gas purification catalyst, which is excellent in peeling resistance of an HC adsorbent layer and has improved durability, and a process for preparing the same.

This exhaust gas purification catalyst comprises an HC adsorbent layer and a catalyst component layer by layering them on a honeycomb carrier in this order. This HC adsorbent layer is formed on the honeycomb carrier by using a slurry containing zeolite powder, a colloidal silica sol in a chain form, and an organic dispersing agent. In this process for preparing an exhaust gas purification catalyst, a suspension slurry is prepared by adding and homogeneously mixing zeolite powder as a main component of an HC adsorbent, a colloidal silica sol in a chain form as a binder component, and an organic dispersing agent. The suspension slurry is applied onto the honeycomb carrier, and the coating is dried and baked to form the HC adsorbent layer. Next, a catalyst component layer is stacked and formed on the HC adsorbent layer.