The Spiritual Exam is based on Dr. Tyrone Yarbrough's journey that began with an unfortunate motor vehicle accident. The title of the book is taken from the perspective that some journeys in life are more intensive than tests that people face in their lives. The spiritual aspect of the book is derived from Dr. Yarbrough's spiritual experiences that he encountered while taking his exam. The six general words—believe, trust, knowledge, relationship, humility, and faith—were important because of their association with strengthening Dr. Yarbrough while he was taking his spiritual exam.